Absent
by JAM11
Summary: Absent: Meaning; Not present in a place, at an occasion, or as part of something. All of those 15 and older have simply vanished and Perdido Beach is left to those left behind, how will they cope in this familiar environment while it constantly changes and becomes something completely different and dangerous. Retelling with original character's and story paths. SYOC open*
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter One**

* * *

It was completely unexplainable...

That was what Lee had thought as he peered at the empty space beside him on the small single bed, her shirt was still there rumpled and strewn partly off the side. He even reached out with his slender fingered hands with the deep slash of a scar across the back of his hand tracing the warmth cover that had once been occupied.

"What the hell" Lee said completely lost for words as he leant over his bed and looked to the empty floor and then even further checked by looking under the bed "I'm high. Louise slipped something in the brownies again that's it I'm high she didn't just disappear" he spoke out to himself trying to explain the weird circumstance that left him alone on his bed

Lee wasn't high though and Louise hadn't put any pot in the brownies like she had for his fourteenth birthday last year, Louise had been there and they'd been kissing. His parents would be furious had they known he'd been skipping school with Louise to make out with her and maybe get much more than just the odd heated kiss. He had too she'd took off her shirt to reveal the lacy black bra with white trim, he'd been all but staring open mouthed at his older girlfriend.

One second she was there the next...Nothing.

_Poof._

**Gone.**

Like she hadn't been there at all, like he hadn't just been burning the image of her shirtless torso into his mind to return to later when he was alone in his bed that night and many nights to come. He knew even though he wanted to pretend that he was high and imagining things, accepting that something not normal had happened just wouldn't sit well. Too much unusual things had been happening to Lee and he was done. He'd told himself months ago that the world was normal and anything that wasn't he wouldn't accept he'd pretend it never happened because he knew logically everything had a scientific explanation. There was no explanation though for a person who had moments ago been lying beside him vanishing though, there wasn't a trap door there was no damn alien beaming up Scotty either. He knew though that Louise Masters his fifteen year old girlfriend had just disappeared before his very eyes.

"Maybe I passed out" he spoke to himself as he sat on his bed his bare back now pressed against the cold metal of his head board while clutching his knees tightly. He didn't even realise the sound of car alarms outside his house or just how silent the house seemed now, how his entire neighbourhood had suddenly gone silent "I saw her amazing rack and I passed out. That's it she thinks I'm a dork she's just in the bathroom to calm herself down from hitting me" he shrugged as if it was plausible, even in a confused panic his mind stopped on the memory again of Louise in just her bra and jeans "God almighty not the time" he groaned shifting uncomfortably and pushing his legs off the side of his bed moving his hands into his dark messy hair gripping tightly and trying to process it again but he couldn't the answer to it all was simple.

Louise had disappeared.

Now you see her, now you don't.

_Poof._

**Gone. **

Lee stood up grabbing up his old band tee from its place across the back of his desk chair and pulled it over his head before moving to the window and looking outside. Lee had always liked the room he was in, it had the perfect escape from his house on the nights his parents refused his pleading to go out on a school night. It had a slight ledge under his window and a guttering pipe down to the ground although it was clear to see that it had grown to be slightly loose over the multiple times he'd snuck out. It was the ledge and the guttering pipe though that caught Lee's attention though it was the car that seemed to have crashed into the neighbour's garage across the street. It hadn't crashed badly but it was clear to see from where he stood that the large garage door had bent inwards from the cars colliding and that the car was still running as the alarm was shrieking. Even when he paid more attention he could see the airbags in the car but there was no one inside it, the door was still shut and even his neighbour's house door was closed. No one seemed to be coming out to check why the alarm was sounding not even the owners, it made no sense nothing seemed to be making much sense.

Lee was about to turn away from his window when he saw little Samantha George walking towards the loud car, she was only about nine years old with knobbly knees and always seemed to have a runny nose. Not that she wasn't an adorable little girl even the kid avoiding Lee had admitted she was sweet but she always seemed to be full of cold. Lee shook his head seeing her walking towards the car and then pushed open the window and looked down the street towards where Carol George lived with her little girl and saw the door wide open but no sign of Samantha's mother following behind her usually very timid and sickly little girl. Lee wrestled with speaking out as he watched the small girl walking around on her own, even though his parents had argued constantly about his lack of maturity or even responsibility Lee felt wrong just letting her continue walking around alone without adult supervision.

"Samantha" Lee called out as Samantha looked around a little jittery her eyes meeting different points but looking back to her own home with hopeful eyes "Samantha up here" Lee yelled again this time Samantha looked up towards Lee hanging partly out of his window and the little girl blushed and bit into her little lip nervously as if she was about to be told off for wondering "shouldn't you be with your mommy?" Lee said nodding his head back down to her house while still looking at her. Samantha answered Lee but her little voice didn't carry to Lee from his place at his bedroom window holding up a hand to his ears she moved her hands to her sides and shouted loud enough for him to hear this time.

"My mommy isn't home she must'a gone out I was looking" Lee smiled at her voice lisping at the usual parts as she shouted up to him she'd grow out of it he was sure it was barely there anymore but it still amused him. It was the uneasy feeling that settled over his stomach like he'd ate some of his mother's day old casserole and was about to pay for it, it churned making him gulp and even flinch to palm his flat stomach.

"She wouldn't have left you alone Samantha did she say where she was going?" Lee asked now while that uneasy feeling seemed to travel up from his stomach and make his chest feel tight and the palms of his hands clammy with building sweat.

"She was on the phone in the kitchen and then she was gone" Lee swallowed, well he tried but suddenly his throat and mouth felt dry as if there was something large stuck in the back of his throat and he couldn't swallow around it. He clamped his eyes tightly shut and gripped the window sill before forcing on a controlled smile, even if it wasn't convincing to someone who was older then little Samantha "The phone was on the floor no one answered though just made a loud noise" she continued then and Lee knew then that just like Louise, Carol George and disappeared too.

While in the middle of a call she'd vanished.

_Poof._

**Gone.**

"You should head on back home Samantha. Just for when your mommy comes home" because they had to come back he was pleading internally people didn't just vanish forever without an explanation on what was going on "Just be a good girl. Maybe get one of your treats and do some colouring for your mommy until she gets home then she'll be really proud of how grown up you acted" Lee said in a croaked and strained voice all while pleading for Samantha to walk back to her house so he could close his window and panic. He may be able to pretend right now and try his best to put a brave face on for the little girl who lived down the street but now he knew too much was happening all at once to be a coincidence. Louise, the driver of the car and now Carol George all had simply vanished from sight, Lee had known though that something strange was happening in Perdido Beach long before this but he'd promised himself normal. Normal had just made like Tom and cruised though.

Lee sighed loudly relieved when he watched Samantha smile up at him and then move back towards her house, he watched though as she made every step back to her home. Hoping even praying for her mother to rush out of the open door in a frantic panic to see her daughter, it never happened though as little Samantha moved into her house and then closed the door behind her. Lee span then away from his open window not bothering to close it behind him as he moved to his drawers and pulled his phone from the speaker dock. His chest pushed out with each deep breath he took trying to keep himself calm but it was hard not to panic, especially in times like these. Lee's thumb hit the touch screen of his phone harder then intended as he scrolled down his contact list and then rang his father's office just outside of Perdido Beach. His father owned a small estate agency that sold the condos on the outskirts of town, they were new builds but hadn't been as popular as his father Frank had hoped. Lee had heard more from his father these past months over the phone then he'd seen him in person and he knew his mother was probably more okay with that then any wife should, neither parent openly said it but Lee wasn't stupid he knew his parents were struggling at the moment. He'd heard those familiar words separation and time apart all too many times when they argued when his father was home, that was why he called him now because if Lee could get hold of his rarely around father now the world wasn't falling completely apart.

"Come on. Come on" Lee spoke through gritted teeth as he paced around his room the agitation and worry sitting like a heavy weight over his chest that made him unsure if he needed to stop moving or get outside and breath in some fresh air "if you were ever going to answer now would be the time dad" he grumbled but then instead of the usual ringing sound that he would have expected there was nothing, nothing but the loud dial tone as if he'd been disconnected or called the wrong number. Not even the sound of the female voice of the answering machine to tell him to leave a message after the beep, there wasn't anything. So Lee cancelled the call and tried again and waited and then when it failed he tried again calling his father, suddenly Lee understood that Albert Einstein quote that Mr Suarez had on the poster to the right of the blackboard now.

_Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results._

Lee understood it better than he ever thought he would as he finally gave up on his father's number shaking his head before calming his breathing and then trying his mother's phone. He waited... nothing again and he couldn't help but choke out a cough as if it would help him try and clear the lump in his throat but he knew enough to know that it was part of being upset. The house suddenly felt even more daunting then as he stood in his room knowing only he was around, too many people seemed to be unavailable it couldn't be a coincidence now. Lee bolted into his bathroom and span the cold tap quickly and stuck his hand under the water splashing it over his face to calm him or wake him up. He held his hands over his face as he blew out a breath water spraying out from between his fingers as he peeked at himself through the mirror that sat above the sink. Lee could feel that odd feeling in the tips of his fingers as he allowed himself to panic now completely alone and pushed his hands under the water.

"Stupid it isn't real it's all just..." he stopped though because there wasn't anything he had in his knowledge to explain anything to do with all of the weird things he'd seen. Something big had just happened maybe people didn't look to Lee because of his intelligence but his gut was telling him something big had happened and right now he knew there was only one place he needed to go. Lee pulled his hands from out of under the water relaxing as the strange tingling sensation had subsided and left his room wiping off his hands on his jeans. He didn't take any time as he ran out of his house and grabbed his bike, his eyes cast up and down the street of his neighbourhood one last time. Nothing had changed from his first glance no one came to inspect the alarms that were going off and he knew if anyone was in the houses, especially adults they would have come out by now to check. Something was very wrong and Lee knew that. He just hoped that when he arrived at the school the only thing he would find was angry teachers expecting and explanation on why he'd skipped the first half of the day, he'd be pleased to take any lengthy time in detention though now. Lee wanted normal. Normal and explainable.

Normal wasn't what he'd find though because normal was...

_Poof. _

**Gone.**

* * *

**Okay then I hope you guys will all tell me what you think of it so far I'm really looking forward to moving this story ahead. Yes this story is an SYOC so I'll be looking for people to PM me character's that I can incorporate into my story. I would like to point out I am looking for both Normal's and Freaks, also I am going to need have two or maybe three close friends to Lee's character they can be male or female but it be best they were the same age as him. I would also like to point out that any character's submitted I may change in small ways to fit them into the story in a way that'll help me but I will talk with the creator of said character about any changes. Please do not submit sheets by Review keep it to PM please I'd much prefer the reviews telling me what you think of my writing and how I can improve or what you're looking forward too. The sooner I have character's submitted and people ready to read I'll start with the next chapter I don't plan on waiting around so updates will be as frequently as I can write.**

**Bellow is the sheet:**

_Name:_

_Gender:_

_Age: (you all know the ages for this)_

_Appearance: (give me a good description the more your character stands out the more likely they will feature more in the story)_

_Personality: (I want character's who are diverse but please remember they are teenagers and kids they aren't adults they won't be extremely mature some might but not all. As you saw with Lee lol) _

_Coates or Perdido: (you should know that Coates kids won't all come in straight away in the story I plan to take this story in a different way)_

_Freak or Normal: (as I said above I need both probably more normal then freaks and remember if freak to state the power and the bar level not everyone can have 4 it's rare I'd like to have it that way in this story too)_

_Brief History: _

_Extra: (any ideas you have for the way your character could maybe be introduce or how they know Lee if you want them to be one of the character's that are his close friends)_


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

_Previously:_

_Normal wasn't what he'd find though because normal was..._

_Poof. _

_**Gone.**_

* * *

Lee had pumped his legs furiously giving his body and outlet for the nerves that were wreaking havoc on his insides, with each street that he passed though more dread filled him. Just like it had been with his street he found running cars with no drivers discarded items, he'd even seen a pram beside a bench fortunately there had been a kid with the pram. Lee hadn't stopped to speak to the kid because he knew exactly what he would ask and Lee didn't have any answers for what had happened. Lee had even decided to ride through the town plaza to only be found with the worst of accidents seeing a car firmly crushed and partly through the front of the hardware store. That time he'd paused, Lee had hoped off his bike and investigated the crash to make sure no one had been hurt from it but all he found was a steaming car with a crumpled in front and a blaring siren. That was the main sound though now blaring sirens even in the distance he could hear the high pitched ring of multiple sirens shrieking together. If this was happening on the high way he dread to think the state of the cars that would have crashed out there. Because he knew now for some odd and unexplainable reason the adults had disappeared...no not just the adults because Louise had gone too so from what he could tell everyone older then the age of fourteen had vanished somehow.

He wasn't about to try and even understand where those could have possibly gone or even the reason for it, if he allowed himself to over think and analyse it all he'd end up catatonic. Lee had always told his parents he wanted independence, they'd argued countless times on his need for freedom because he believed he was mature enough. They always had a counter argument for some stunt he'd pulled that argued his claims but right now he'd take that because as he tried to think of a world without his mother he didn't honestly know how things would get done.

"Toast and ramen noodles" Lee had tried to joke to himself as he'd jumped back onto his bike giving the hardware store one last look before straightening his shoulders and pushing off and away.

As Lee continued his ride towards the school he wouldn't be prepared for the mass panic and out roar that would be pouring out of the main entrance. Seeing the younger children and even some of the older kids crying had dashed all but the last hope he had and even though he was never one to show emotion openly to anyone who wasn't family he felt the sting of wanting to cry. Lee had dumped his bike to the ground rather forcefully and moved back towards the school as other's were running out some in groups while other's looking around skittishly as if they were about to be caught doing something they shouldn't.

"We rule the school" Cheered energetic and over enthusiastic boys as they whooped and hollered loudly, Lee would have found it amusing had he been here when all the adults had bounced but he'd seen the town. Lee had faced a reality maybe the kids in the school hadn't yet, they'd go home and they'd see the empty house the left items where the adult had vanished while doing something and they'd realise something was wrong. That it wasn't a laughing matter anymore, he wasn't about to tell them though because while some were upset and scared as soon as they all knew the reality of what was going on they would all be panicking.

Lee stopped when he got to the school entrance his eyes locking with Kale Mason, there wasn't a person in this school who Lee had fought and joked with more than Kale. Just last semester they'd both been suspended after Lee punched Kale after making a comment about Louise's ass they'd been back in school only a week after the incident before they were found together in the library using pages to make joints out of. Lee had grown up with Kale known him most of his life and yet he still was unsure on Kale, the sarcastic humour and biting snide comments left him on the fence when it came to him. Lee wasn't surprised however to see Kale sitting on the school steps his jeans with large holes at the knees his bright red converse and skateboard brand t-shirt with a cigarette limply hanging between his lips. It didn't matter what was happening in the world, Lee knew as long as Kale had cigarettes and someone to torment for his own humour he'd survive anything. Lee jumped up the steps looking down at Kale as he rested back on his hands his chest rising and then blowing smoke out of the corner of his mouth as he looked up at Lee with a smirk.

"Well look who finally decided to grace our fine school with his presence" Kale said then turning to look around as if he was talking to someone while he sat alone chuckling to himself removing the cigarette from between his lips and flicking off some of the ash "let me guess Louise vanished during the middle of you bumping uglies" Lee laughed shaking his head

"I take it everyone over fourteen vanished then?" Lee asked he knew the answer though but he watched as Kale shrugged his shoulders and then took another deep intake and blew it out, each movement Kale made seemed calculated and timed as if he did something too fast he'd freeze up.

"I don't know about vanished there was a lot of Porky Ralphie to disappear" Kale cackled at his own comment, Porky was a cruel nickname that Ralph had gained because he was a rounded boy in the grade above and Kale loved to tease and make fun of him "I swear his ass was left behind well at least some of it. I was sitting in class flicking paperclips at the back of his head and he just blinked out" Kale shook his head wiping his forehead pushing some of his hair off his forehead "I thought I'd been smoking to much of my stash because I knew good Ole Porky wouldn't have moved that fast for a donut let alone to move out the way of me throwing crap" Lee waved his hand for Kale to hurry up, Kale scoffed at him then flicked his cigarette at Lee's feet.

"Ass" Lee grunted out standing on the still lit butt of it.

"Anyways yeah older then fifteen and you made an exit on whatever is going on. The fact that you've showed up to school makes it abundantly clear craps going down" Kale stood then brushing off his pants punching Lee's arm in a his friendly jerkish manner and then nodded his head away from the school "If there isn't any adults I'm going to take advantage of some alone time pull out my stash and smoke myself into blissful nirvana. So you can either come along or you can join the tard parade that's amassing" Kale didn't wait for even a response from Lee as he started walking down the rest of the steps and then down the street, no doubt Kale would reappear soon enough once he ran out of pot to smoke. Once Kale realised that without adults around there was no one he could buy his stash off of he'd be panicking just like the rest of the kids in Perdido and then Lee would get his own amusement. Thank god Kale's little sister seven years old Jacey was mature enough to keep Kale in line while the adults weren't around.

"Don't forget about your sister Kale" Lee said then worried Kale would actually forget about his younger sister and let her find her own way home. Kale didn't respond only waved over his shoulder not looking back, if Lee saw her around he'd take her home he knew how Kale was and he didn't want little Jacey getting the short end of the stick because her brother was a jerk who cared more about his pot hidden in his sock draw.

That thought had made him consider all of the other younger children around Perdido Beach, not all of them would have older siblings to take care of them. Hopefully whatever had happened would be fixed before too long kids being left without adult supervision was just asking for trouble, there was probably people on the way already to check out what had happened. Government agents would be here to take control so media didn't find out about the strange event of all those over fourteen disappearing. Lee told himself he just had to hold out until some adults showed up and took charge that was it, he'd hang out with his friends and wait to find out where his parents were, where Louise was and maybe... Maybe she'd let him continue where they had been stopped on his bed because that was what he truly wanted to go back to his bed and enjoy Louise's lips against his and her soft small hands on his bare chest. Lee couldn't help the large almost dopey smile that filtered across his handsome features as he thought about Louise being so grateful to be back with him that she'd give herself over to him. Fantasies but good ones none the less, he could hope for that, Lee would look forward to a reunion between himself and his hot older girlfriend where shirts and maybe even more clothes were not needed.

"Your either thinking about Louise or Kale's pot has finally killed all those brain cells" Cameron said knocking Lee from his thoughts as Lee turned to face him, moving up to the top of the school steps and bumped fists with his best friend Cameron

At a first glance many would assume that Cameron Elis and Lee were related somehow, both with the typical tan that many of the locals of Perdido Beach had. Cameron had a lighter shade of hair but both wore it in a similar style, even the builds of both teenagers was similar lee being only slightly taller with a narrower build that made him look leaner but both were in good shape. The similarities ended with appearance though with the two, Lee had always been a much more relaxed go with the flow sort of guy willing to try anything once. Cameron was a self proclaimed ladies man, he'd never had a relationship that had lasted longer than a few weeks but that was how he liked it. Cameron was definitely a love them and leave them type.

"Looks to me like we've got ourselves in a bit of a problem" Lee told Cameron as he stared at his phone intently "it isn't working I tried calling my parents just got the dial tone even though I had full signal" Lee said as he looked around it appeared the school was dying down now, not that Lee could fault any of them who wanted to be in school when they didn't have too.

"Yeah I know tried about every damn contact in my phone it's just...strange" Cameron looked up from his phone his usually calm demeanour showing the same tell tale signs of worry Lee carried "A few of the guys were talking just after it happened. Some are saying it's some sort of government experiment. Cindy that girl that I hooked up with last month she swears it's god or something" Cameron clicked his fingers while trying to remember the word Cindy had said when they'd all been arguing amongst themselves on what was happening "the rapture" Cameron smiled widely once he remembered "something about us all being left behind because we're sinners or some bull but I know for a fact that Mr O'Bryan would have stuck around if it was the case the dude was pure evil" Lee smiled was lopsided as he bobbed his head along as Cameron spoke

"Mr O'Bryan wasn't all that bad" Cameron looked at Lee his face twisting in a very clear expression that disagreed with his friend "okay he was a douche on the whole presentation of your work but he was so much better then Mrs Peters the old hag would just scream at me all class about my attitude" Lee walked with Cameron as the two seemed to be moving now away from the school as everyone else had, Lee retrieving his bike and pushing it along as they walked side by side. Lee had clearly calmed since arriving at the school seeing his friends and other people he knew in the same situation he'd found himself in didn't make him feel so alone in it all.

"Mrs Peters she always called you Leo" Cameron chortled roughly then coughing as he tried to even out his voice again clearing his throat as he bumped his shoulder into Lee "Leo I've told you that ruler is not to be used as a weapon or catapult" Cameron made his voice nasally and higher pitched as he tried to impersonate the old female teacher that most the parents of the students claimed taught there when they'd been younger.

An awkward silence filled between the two as they slowly walked towards the town plaza, Lee already knew what they would find in the town plaza after riding through before on his way too school. Neither of the teenagers wanted to say what was truly on their minds though, the fear that they'd not see their parents again was too likely a reality in this moment in time. With every few steps the two would look at each other give the typical forced smiles and shrugged response and then fix their gazes forward and continued to walk on. It was Cameron to finally break the silence.

"What do you think is going to happen now?" he asked his voice almost a whisper.

"I guess adults show up and make sure we're all safe and then take list of who... disappeared. Government agents or something they won't want this getting out to everyone it cause too much trouble unless they know what happened" Lee said it seemed the most realistic idea of what was too follow "Yeah so we should just enjoy the freedom while it lasts because once the adults are back I doubt we'll get much freedom after" Lee tried to force out a laugh that Cameron only smiled at in response.

"I think I want to go to my dad's shop" Cameron said unsure of himself while Lee nodded. Mr Elis owned a small shop just on the outer skirts of the town plaza it sold mostly magazines, newspapers and candy, it did okay considering it was one of the closest places in Perdido to get hold of any gossip magazine that most of the mother's read. Lee normally would have to go there at least once a week to collect magazines for his mom, if it wasn't Mr Elis sitting behind the large till counter it was Cameron while he ate the candy stock but he'd always seen it as a perk of the job. Lee understood why Cameron would want to go to his dad's store, in a normal world they'd open the front door that old fashioned bell would ring overhead and Mr Elis would greet the two boys.

"Yeah we should. Just to check out things we could lock it up for your dad who knows what people will take while no one's around to stop them" The two then moved faster at Lee's words knowing just how likely it was that kids would have already noted that with no adults everything they wanted was literally a reach away. Lee checked on Cameron from the corner of his eyes a hard scowl on his features, Lee knew that for one thing any kid who stole from Mr Elis shop Cameron would hold a grudge against them for a very long time.

****~~**ABSENT**~~****

Riley Kramer had felt only pain. The moment she'd opened her eyes she'd been sure she hadn't felt much pain even after hours of dance practice before a big competition. Her ears were still ringing loudly and she felt sticky, it didn't matter how many times she tried to open her eyes though it was as if her body was too tired to even make that small sign of movement. Riley had been in the backseat of her mother's Honda on the way out of Perdido Beach on the highway when her mother had been cut off mid rant about the coming dance competition. Riley had been too busy looking at her phone and only paying half attention to what her mother had been saying. She knew her mother tried but it was more of an annoyance, both her parents were doctors which left them away more than they were around so when her mother and father were home she felt like they were intruding on her life. So she let her mother try and actually be a mother all while doing her best to ignore the rant like any normal teenager, her dance partner James sat beside her paying attention to her mother but that was usually the way.

"I think you guys are really g..." her mother had been cut off in the middle of saying a word when Riley had looked up to find the front driver's seat empty her mother not in place. She had only had enough time to see that her mother was gone before the car swerved off the road and collided into an oncoming car that looked empty. Riley had only had time to scream when everything around her went completely black.

Riley whimpered as her eyes adjusted to her surroundings now, the car was thankfully upright but the roof and most of the driver's side was completely crumpled in. The glass of her window had shattered and she could feel the glass in her hair, only once she reached up to the painful ache over her forehead did she feel the large gash just above her eyebrow that was covered in dried sticky blood. It was the state of her dance partner and friend James though that concerned her the most, his side had taken the full force of the collision. He was slumped over his head resting on the seat in front of him his legs looked twisted unnaturally and there was blood so much of it, it seemed. Riley cried out in pain her ribs hurting her making her feel like she couldn't breathe she guessed she'd either broken a rib or bruised them in the collision but her mother wasn't here and neither were any paramedics and James needed help. Riley unbuckled her seatbelt and winced while shimmying over a little securing James' head and neck in her trembling hands and then moved him back so he was sitting back, the entire side of his face was swollen with small shards of glass stuck in his cheek and forehead. She wiped at her tears the pain too much while she checked for a pulse and cried out loudly at first when she couldn't seem to find one.

"Please be okay please" she'd coughed harshly her throat dry while she tried to swallow tasting blood on her tongue.

When she felt the somewhat slow thump of a pulse she was relieved that he wasn't dead, not yet anyway she'd thought morbidly to herself. Only when she'd tried to them move James did he make any sign of being alive when he'd sharply cried out in pain while still unconscious. Riley had seen it then moving his body only a little his legs had become more visible, James had been wearing shorts which made it all the more clear the damage. His leg was broken. The bone hadn't pierced the skin horribly like in the hospital drama shows she watched on a Thursday night but the way the odd angle was of his shin she could see it was broken. She hated herself in that moment for thinking about how she'd needed to find another dance partner if she wanted to compete any further this year. Maybe it was selfish and she knew that but she couldn't help thinking it, that wasn't important though what was important now was getting herself and James help. So Riley did the one thing she thought might help as she started crying and panicking in the crushed car on the highway.

"Help please somebody help us" she screamed.

****~~**ABSENT**~~****

"No f-ing way" Cameron growled out angrily slamming the door to his dad's shop, he couldn't even bring himself to look at it again as he shoved the key into the lock and twisted angrily.

Lee had kept silent at the state of the store when they'd entered he'd been too busy trying to hold Cameron back from pummelling the little kids that were raiding the candy shelves of everything. Cameron had tried to get free of Lee and grab one of them but Lee had been adamant that hitting on a little kid would just make him look like an ass not matter what they'd done. Lee had kept hold of him though even as the kids scurried out some leaving the candy to the floor as they dashed out giggling all with chocolate around their mouths. Lee had kept out of Cameron's way after the kids had made a dash for it he could see that his friend was angry. He wasn't sure if the anger was just because of the kids that had made a mess of the store or if it was him finally letting some of the emotion out over what was happening, either way he wouldn't judge his friend for trying to find an outlet. So while Cameron had ranted about how much money it would cost his dad when he returned Lee did his best to try and straighten the magazine racks and pick up the half eaten candy bars and throw them in the trash.

"Seriously adults are gone for maybe an hour and a half and kids are already looting stores" Cameron continued on as he counted what was left in the till, Lee hadn't said anything to Cameron on how it seemed on too steal money when all the shops at the minute didn't have any adults so there in reality was no need to buy it. He knew that just make Cameron angrier so he kept his thoughts to himself. "You know I think maybe we should take this all to my house" Cameron said then as Lee stopped what he was doing and turned to him giving him a confused look.

"Why would we do that your dad's just going to have to bring it all back when he shows up. I get that you don't want kids stealing but it was bound to happen ya'know" Lee said thinking it best to try and calm his friend down now make him think logically about it, he knew Mr Elis wouldn't be all that bothered by a few candy bars being taken when something like this had happened.

"They ain't coming back man" Cameron almost yelled more out of panic then anger this time as Lee shook his head not agreeing not wanting to agree with him "Come on Lee you think adults wouldn't have showed up by now. People would know" Lee was about to interrupt Cameron but he continued refusing to be silenced "just listen okay. We don't know how long we'll be without adults Lee food is important we need to ration it or some crap we can't waste it" this time Lee had to interrupt because thinking like this was exactly what he didn't want to do, when he heard the word rationing it reminded him of history class and how they would ration food during the war to civilians they weren't in some sort of world crisis this was just something odd, something strange that would be fixed. Even though he wanted to believe it though, it didn't sit right and he knew maybe logical thinking was to plan for the absence of the adults being longer than just a few hours.

"Give it today if no one shows up by this evening..." Lee sighed running his hand through his hair and then nodding at Cameron "If by tonight no adults have shown up we hide this stuff. If we're going to do that though there are more important stores that'll need people watching over then this place Cameron" Lee and Cameron had come to an agreement then, they would try and hope for adults to show up but if they didn't both knew they'd have to move this stuff to another location because if adults didn't come back straight away it meant food would become something important. Lee doubted they'd be alone long enough to eat through all of the food in town that wasn't it at all but things like candy would be eaten first because no adults to say no and it was easy to prepare. Lee and Cameron didn't know that as the two of them spoke that just across from behind the store that children were screaming as the McDonalds was engulfed in flames, there was many problems that would start in Perdido now that the adults had gone. Babies left alone, cars left running and even ovens that were in the middle of cooking lunch, across most of Perdido there was lots of panicked cries for help as everyone realised help may not be coming.

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**There's my second chapter guys I really hope you'll let me know what you think so far. I've tried to bring in all the character's that were submitted to me but I'd just like to give a shout out to****_ ShadowDude90_****, ****_Stalking dream_**** and****_ DeathAngel80_****. I really hope you like what I did with the character's you gave me I know it's still early but I tried to keep them how you described them. Another note I may not be able to give all character's their own specific part like I managed with Riley Kramer but I promise to try my best on doing so. If they aren't mentioned all the time I'm sorry but I'm working on moving the story forward and once things start picking up maybe there will be different things going on that'll have me moving between different character's.**

**Please all of you review and let me know what you think. Still keep submitting guys so I've got more character's to look over and see where I can work them into my ideas. Maybe a few more normal kids and try and make them realistic and different I don't want lots of the same type characters. **


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

_Previously: _

_Perdido there was lots of panicked cries for help as everyone realised help may not be coming._

* * *

Sienna Kings stood beside the growing crowd that watched the thick black smoke push through the entrance of the local fast food court, McDonalds had been there as long as she could remember. Her parents had once made a comment about it originally being a small family diner before the space was bought and then replaced with the larger modernised yellow arches. It appeared that McDonalds would soon be something that was no longer there though, just like the old diner before it. Internally she knew that when the adults returned those in charge of the fast food franchise would quickly have it replaced with a newer building. Sienna wasn't naive though, she'd known the second her advanced calculus teacher and all of her class had disappeared at once that something had changed in Perdido Beach. Other's had only seen maybe their teacher or a class mate across the room bounce out as some had called it already, Sienna though she'd seen an entire class vanish before her very eyes. She was intelligent but there wasn't anything she'd been taught or believed she'd be taught in the future that could ever explain how an entire classroom of people simply vanished from sight without even a sign of anything to cause it. The event. It was what she'd pegged it as the moment she'd left her class room to find younger students and even other's her own age with the same shocked even a little excited expression on each of their faces. From what she could tell 'The Event' had somehow caused all of those above the age of fourteen to disappear, the fact that no adults since had shown up either meant this was a wider scale event then she'd estimated or that somehow adults weren't able to get to the beach town of Perdido.

The disappearing of all those older than fourteen though wasn't important as Sienna watched young children running out of the McDonalds spluttering and coughing roughly for breath once out of the building. Without adults there wasn't any fireman, she thought to herself then. No doctors either so anyone that was burned or injured would be left without any form of help, the sickening feeling in her stomach churned as if she hadn't eaten. Police without policemen there was no law to keep those in line, no police to enforce the laws that kept everyone safe, Sienna internally hoped that it took those with more undisciplined mindsets to figure this out much later then she had. Sienna shook her head again her mind wondering away from what was in front of her, they needed to stop the fire that was the first thing they somehow needed to make sure no one was inside. Who would willingly walk into a building that was evidently on fire though, even as she thought it she knew she'd never offer what help would she even be anyway if she were to go inside. She was a thinker by no means someone who took physical action and did it, even her parents had said people like herself grew up to be in the background planning everything for other people to do. It had felt like an insult to her when they'd said it but they'd tried to sooth her by also adding how those in the background normally earned the most money.

"It's getting worse" Colette Grayson said standing up beside Sienna, Colette was probably one of the palest children in Perdido with her snow white skin complexion and the scattering of freckles over most of her body her hair in a knotted bun at the back of her hair.

Sienna knew Colette well enough they lived only a few houses away from each other she was a grade younger so because of the close age they often got shoved together the few times both sets of parents were busy. Sienna couldn't say she had any stand out friends she was friendly sure with everyone, being well mannered and polite didn't take away anything so she'd never had a problem with playing nice.

"Well somebody call us a fire engine then" Kale laughed behind the two girls his hand limply holding the hand of his small sister while his other hand held the rolled cigarette but Sienna had to admit it smelt odd, she knew the smell of smoke but whatever Kale was inhaling wasn't your normal store bought cigarette. Cannabis she thought her dad had almost kicked her older brother out for smoking it once, her dad had found a large green bong under his bed it had been the biggest argument she'd heard when it came to her perfect older siblings. Yes Sienna didn't know much about things like that but she was almost one hundred percent sure that Kale was smoking cannabis. "Oh wait that's right no adults" he shook his head while his little sister Jacey held his hand looking embarrassed to be around him, it spoke a lot about Kale's character that even his seven year old sister was embarrassed by his demeanor and attitude to others.

"There's no need to be nasty to her" Sienna said even a little shocked herself that she'd spoken out to Kale, her mom and dad had warned her that she was to avoid the Mason family. That they were bad news, she remembered only last semester how Kale had been taunting Lee another boy in his grade. It had been the first physical fight she'd ever been and it had disturbed her and oddly enough thrilled her at the same time, there had been snarled words exchanged then pushing. Even though the boys seemed evenly sized when standing against each other she hadn't been shocked when Lee had decided to forgo pushing and punched Kale in the face. Teacher's had rushed to separate the two but Sienna had been positive had no one moved in to stop the two it would have continued, Kale looked like the sort not to give up even when he should and she doubted Lee would have minded having to beat some sense into his sometimes friend.

"Well I'd hardly call that nasty. It's not like I called you casper was it" Kale directed to Colette smirking as his sister pulled her hand free from his grasp and shoved at his hip

"Knock it off" she hissed her cheeks bright pink, Kale seemed to take his younger sister's words seriously though as he raised his hands in a sign of surrender to Jacey. Sienna stored that information away, get Kale to do something make sure Jacey was helping not that she'd ever require Kale's help for anything in her eyes was just that stoner kid that spent too much time talking about what girls had lowered their inhibitions and standards to even allow him near them.

"We need to put it out and as he" Sienna pointed over her shoulder to Kale as she spoke to Colette "pointed out there isn't any fire engines coming with adults to put it out" Sienna tapped her fingertip against her bottom lip while she tried to think of a way to put out the fire before it burned the entire building down the fact that she couldn't see flames yet meant it hadn't grown out of control yet. Sienna looked around the plaza seeing just how many children were around some actually paying attention to the black smoke swirling out of the McDonalds while other's messed around as if nothing was happening. It was then she caught the hardware store in her sight the car partly showing out of the crumpled in wall. "We need people to get hoses from the hardware store and set them up to put them out" Sienna this time turned to Kale "Could you please get some of the other boys from your grade to help you set up hoses if the fire spreads it'll burn down the whole town" Sienna saw the moment that Kale was going to laugh her off and refuse but oddly he nodded his head and turned to gather helpers to take care of the task. Jacey Mason looked up at Sienna with an odd look on her face, Sienna didn't comment turning her gaze back to the McDonalds. Her concentration on the building was only changed when she saw a girl her own age pushing through the small crowd that was surrounding the McDonalds panic and fear on her face.

"Where's my brother. Kyle" she yelled looking at the entrance that was open but all that could be seen was thick black smoke as it poured out and reached high up into the sky "Kyle" she screamed as a friend Sienna guessed held the girl back from rushing in. Yes Sienna hoped that Kale was quick enough to get people to help him get hoses because she believed that the bad situation had just gotten much worse.

****~~**ABSENT**~~****

No one had come. The sense of abandonment had never truly set within Riley even with the large work schedule her parents kept that left her so alone during her day to day life. Riley had always known though that come morning she'd see them both at least at the breakfast table, some days rushed other's relaxed. They were always there though her mother cooking her oatmeal while her dad nursed his black coffee while holding his iPad in his hand looking through emails. Every morning at the same time she felt as if she was any normal teenager with normal parents, they'd kiss her cheek before leaving and then she'd be alone for twenty minutes before walking to school. Sometimes she'd be fine with it but other days it got to her and she'd leave early just to be around friends because the loneliness did bother her. All the times she'd told her mom she didn't mind and that she was a big girl it was all lies to herself and to them because she hadn't ever been. She felt alone. Nothing though had prepared her for the stark realisation that there was no one as she sat beside her unconscious badly broken dance partner and friend. Like Riley had always done in the past once realising it was left to her she moved slowly from her side of the car. The highway was scattered with cars some in collisions like her own some had veered off the highway completely while others were just perfectly fine. There was no one not only had the driver of the car that had hit them was empty all of them were, the adults were gone.

"No time" she whispered between her dry lips running her tongue over them and tasting the salty sweat on her upper lip mixed with the rusted tang of dried blood "need to get James to help need something" she spoke to herself to try and ease herself, Riley knew a little about injuries and patching them up but broken bone wasn't something she'd ever dealt with other then watching on television.

So Riley slowly limped using the side of her mother's car to move around to the backseat and opening the boot, it was one of the larger cars that's back seats flipped down to make more space in the back. She'd always wished her mom drove one of those flashy sports cars like other doctors did but right now she was thankful her mother was smart to see benefits in it.

"Not these sorts of benefits though" Riley grunted to herself throwing her and James' bag from the boot and then climbed up gripping hold of the handle behind James side and shook it. It was stiff but she used all her strength even shrieking out in a growl as the muscles over her thin arms tensed. The loud clang and then thud made her flinch back as the seat flattened back with a jerk and James was left laying flat now but he whimpered painfully "I'm so sorry James" Riley said wiping her eyes her voice soft and attempted to be soothing even though it sounded tired and older then her actual age.

Riley took the time to check over James again but either he was unwilling to open his eyes or the pain was bad enough to render him completely out cold. She was thankful though for the time to check on him if only to let herself gain her breath because her ribs were most definitely damaged and each step was becoming harder. She couldn't carry James he wasn't the biggest boy in their grade not by a lot but he was too heavy for Riley to carry. She moved her hair into a ponytail as to not have it in her face the blood had stopped trickling now but it covered a lot of the side of her forehead and cheek. Riley didn't know what she was looking for now but she knew that when she found it she'd know, her mind drifted to how her mom had vanished but the second she tried to think about it too much she banished it away to thoughts of James in the car. She didn't want to think what would become of that leg if he didn't see a doctor she wasn't even sure if there wasn't internal damage for all she knew he was dying as she set on a mission for something she didn't even know she was searching for.

"One time I could really use having a doctor around and nothing" Riley huffed sarcastically her arm slightly wrapped around her midsection as if to relieve some of the strain that continued to irritate her injuries. Nothing compared to James though she reminded herself internally like a mantra to keep moving forward.

Riley followed the lines of abandoned cars there wasn't as many as she'd have believed but understood that it was that time of the day where adults were working and kids were in school. The first car Riley had checked had been bare of anything useful but there had been a bottle of water in the cup holder beside the driver's seat. Riley hadn't even thought about saving some when she'd unscrewed the top and guzzled down the still cold water. It had hit the spot perfectly wetting her dry lips and sore throat, only once she'd held the bottle tilted up and felt the drop of each water that dripped from the bottle rim did she think about how it would have been a better idea to save some of the water for later or even for when James came around. Riley discarded the empty bottle and then continued on her search, it didn't matter though as every car she checked seemed to be locked or with her unable to find anything that could help her move James safely. She knew in a way she should just drive with him away get him into a car and drive but she honestly had no idea how to get a car moving and then to keep control of one once it was moving. Knowing her luck she'd just end up crashing into a wall and then neither James nor she would be able to get help before it was too late, Riley was close to turning around and heading back to her mother's crashed car when she'd seen something that caught her eye. Behind an old beaten pickup trick it had an additional trailer it was barely big enough to be considered useful but in it sat three bikes.

"That'll work just put James in the thing and pull him back to town someone will help us there" she huffed out a heavy breath before moving a little more quickly than her stumbled pace had allowed before now finally set on a concrete idea to work towards.

With what felt to her like her last ounce of strength and will she heaved the bikes slowly out of the cart discarding them to the road with little to no care. The last bike Riley didn't even have the energy to lift it over the sides of the carts walls and pushed it out and watched as it clanged and bounced when it hit the tarmac road. Riley squeezed her slender body between the small gap of the back of the truck and the cart trying to jimmy the metal screw lock out of place. By the colouring and stiffness of the metal Riley knew that it had been some time since the lock had been removed. She braced her foot, thankful she'd decided to wear her sneakers instead of her dance shoes in the car and kicked in an attempt to free up the metal screw clip. She kicked once then again and then her screaming rage came out as she kicked at the metal clip until her toes were hurting, she was so angry at everything and everyone. Mostly she was angry at her mother, if her mother had been here nothing would be wrong she was a doctor she'd be able to fix up James call Riley's dad and everything would be better. That wasn't an option though so she kept kicking even when her leg was tired and her tears started running down her already tear stained cheeks she kept at it, giving up wasn't an option not when it could mean James surviving.

"Come on you stupid ass car" Riley yelled at the cart and then kicked the bonnet of the truck and watched as the clip snapped the old rusted clip finally gave way under the constant pressure of being jolted. Riley paused for all but a second looking at it not believing the dumb stupid luck of it all and then laughed. She laughed so hard that it hurt her ribs but she didn't care, Riley laughed through her tears even when her chest jerked with the sobs that somehow continued she laughed. She'd lost her mind she'd decided then as she giggled calming her hysterics only slightly.

Riley then tried to maneuver the cart away pushing up the metal clip now and pulling out the extender and trying to pull it behind her but quickly realised it wouldn't move smoothly enough or as easily as it could. She'd have to push. So Riley pushed hunched over gripping the wooden wall of the cart and pushed it much smoother over the flat highway road back towards her mother's car. It took more energy and was uncomfortable for her in her already injured state but she couldn't be selfish right now, even if she and James weren't extremely close he was one of the few constant people around in her life. She knew had they been in the opposite situation and she was in the car broken and in need of emergency help he would have done anything to help, probably without the crazed crying and laughing too. Once at her car her fear rose at just how pale James had become since her time away his eyes were open now though but glazed, she'd thought he was dead but the rise and fall of his chest let her know it wasn't that bad. He didn't respond when he saw her as if in a pain induced trance, he simply mumbled and whimpered up at the roof of the car, she was glad it wasn't her in his position then she'd take having to lug around carts and painful ribs over his condition any day.

"I just need to move you now James this is most likely going to hurt just if you can help me out a little okay" Riley spoke to him to receive no sign of any recognition, she pulled the latches up from the one side of the cart and lowered it so it was level with the boot of the car.

She moved into the back of the car then and gripped her arms under James arms wrapping her arms tightly over his chest and latching her fingers together. He was sweating profusely and covered in blood, she grunted from exhaustion as she was forced to heave his weight back wincing at his loud scream of pain as his legs started to be pulled along with him. He made no understandable sound other then crying out his hands clawing to reach for the leg tears falling down his open eyes but he didn't look at her or anywhere just continued to cry out. It made the job harder for Riley wishing she could stop and not have to force him through to suffer but she'd done so much to get to this point to actually get him help. Riley didn't even flinch away from James as a patch grew in his pant leg she knew he was wetting himself and had this happened before this moment she most probably would have been repulsed by it and avoided him, she couldn't imagine what he must be going through though. His cries stopped when his head lulled back and he fell more into her hold, he'd passed out again. Now that his legs weren't partly hidden by the chair she could finally see them and it made her stomach want to revolt against her as his almost black legs swollen and bruised beyond recognition. She'd been wrong when she'd guessed he'd broken just his shin from what she would see both of them were badly broken if she had to put any guess she'd say muscle tearing as well as shattered bones.

"Oh god there's supposed to be help" she cried softly as she pulled James the rest of the way into the cart refusing to stop until he was completely moved into the cart. She reached over and firmly secured the metal locks to hold up the cart wall and then reached into the discarded bags and grabbed out her towels and covered them. She didn't want James to see them when he finally came around properly, that's if his body could even handle the pain he was in while being conscious and aware of everything.

Riley then turned the cart around heavier now with the added weight of James, she stood her back arched over as she gripped tightly around the cart wall again. She couldn't be sure on how far her home was, she could see though maybe over two miles from where she was Perdido Beach and if it wasn't easy enough to find there was a large pillow of black smoke reaching into the sky like a marker for her. Riley huffed out sweat dripping over her upper lip and then continued to push, she'd get them both to Perdido and then someone else could take over the caring because there had to be someone who could lessen James pain. When she got home she'd shower, she'd sit on the floor of the shower and let herself really cry and then she'd allow herself to think about what had happened and who in the world her mother had vanished from the driver's seat, why there was no adults to help.

****~~**ABSENT**~~****

Lee had decided to leave his bike in the shop before they'd exited together they'd made plans even put a lot of the candy in boxes that had been left empty in the office at the back of the store. They'd made a plan to go ahead with and that in itself had given Lee and Cameron something to focus on should the time come when this evening the adults didn't return. Neither had openly admitted it but they'd both voiced it with that look when they'd spoken about where to stash the candy, it was a look that screamed "they aren't showing up" "nothing is going to go back to normal" and the most frightening of looks "there isn't anyone to tell us what we can't do" maybe it was immature but it was on both of their minds. A world where they went by what they wanted, Lee had to admit it didn't have the same fun aspect to it without Louise around what was the point of no adult supervision if Louise wasn't around for him to hook up with.

"Dude it's totally aliens" Cameron had snorted as they'd exited out of the back of the shop locking up the door and walking out of the alley exit it was trash day and it seemed this part of town still hadn't had its trash collected off the street.

"Yeah because ET is all about the stealing adults" Lee waved him off as they moved out into the open street heading towards the plaza, Lee shoved Cameron away from him the two trying to joke while in the worrying situation they'd found themselves in now.

"Could you imagine all that anal probing..." Cameron stopped his eyes widening and then looking up as Lee turned his gaze from his friends shocked face towards the direction he was looking in. Lee understood the shock though as black smoke rose up into the sky and for a second he thought maybe Aliens was too far a stretch to explain what had happened. "Holy crap fire" Cameron said as Lee's cheeks flushed with embarrassment for even internally thinking that it could be anything other than the obvious, he could even smell it now that he thought about it the smell of something burning. Cameron then started running in the direction of the smoke that seemed to be just on the other side of these buildings in the town plaza.

"We can't catch a break" Lee growled through gritted teeth running after to catch up with Cameron and find out what had happened, there wasn't any adults though so Lee knew there wasn't much he could personally do. There wasn't much anything kids could do when it came to a fire, in fire safety they never actually told anyone who to put a fire out unless you were on the one on fire "Stop. Drop and Roll" Lee mumbled to himself as he moved up to Cameron and they both broke into the town plaza together.

Lee had never seen this many people in the plaza even during the Christmas time that was fast approaching he'd never seen this many people as they seem bundled together in different areas. Where the larger mass of bodies were was near the McDonalds, the restaurant wasn't like the usual McDonalds that he'd seen in other towns or cities. It didn't have the open feel with space around all sides for parking there wasn't lots of windows around this McDonalds it had the front of the show made up of completely glass with the two main entrance doors and the golden arches over head with the name. It certainly had the McDonalds theme that was a given there was no drive through though due to the lack of space and other shops around it on a glance this McDonalds could have been any normal shop in the plaza. Right now though it wasn't bright and welcoming like it normally appeared the bright yellow arches looked almost daunting with the smoke pouring out of the open doors, you couldn't even see into the windows of the front of the shop because of the smoke it clung to it like tar. Cameron tugged on Lee's arm nodding his head as Kale ran past them with a garden hose wrapped around his shoulder others with the same equipment it seemed some had already decided a plan of action which was impressive.

"When you become a trained fire fighter?" Cameron yelled to Kale still even as he seemed to be doing something useful and helpful he looked bored and indifferent cigarette sitting over his ear waiting to be used it wouldn't surprise Lee if he used the burning fire light it before smoking.

"I figured I spend so much time smoking up my bedroom what's hard about a little fire in McDonalds. Anyway I save this place and maybe I get free big Mac's for life" Kale shrugged and then continued on his way other's following behind, Lee didn't point out that those hoses were useless until they found somewhere to hook them up to a water system.

"Let's go find out what happened" Lee said nodding towards the McDonalds and then the both were moving through the kids watching, he hated how the littler kids were crying and asking for their mommy's and daddy's it made him feel sick "God I hope Samantha is okay" he whispered to himself remembering the little girl that he'd told to go back inside and wait for her mother.

Lee moved to where a small group of people were there was a girl crying pitifully into her hands as friends tried to hold her back from going towards the fire. There was some kids that had the smoke smell lingering over them, one small girl maybe five was coughing roughly and wiping roughly at her red eyes. Lee fixed his eyes though on a girl with orange hair it looked how he'd expect the flames inside were probably burning she was standing beside a smaller girl with messy blonde hair that was bunched up at the back of her head. Lee didn't know them but he'd seen the girl with orange hair before but he didn't seem to have a name that stuck out for her, the two were talking to a boy whose face actually had black soot over his cheeks. Lee moved over to the girls as they seemed to be questioning the boy, he was curious though because this girl didn't seem to have any reason to be here but she was asking the boy questions she could see as she bunched her hands together in front of her urging him to continue.

"It was like blue sparks" he wheezed out coughing again slapping his chest and taking another large gulp of water "it leapt from the microwave into an empty socket and it just went boom" he even spread out his fingers and arms to show the way it had exploded then "It was like on his hands" that had caught Lee though, as he moved closer and looked down at the boy Cameron moving up beside him but his attention was fixed on the smoke "his hand was jerking it was blue I..." he sighed slumping down onto the curb then and the smaller girl with blonde hair reached over and patted his shoulder soothingly while the other girl fixed her eyes on Lee as if he'd interrupted.

It didn't matter though because what he'd heard it had been enough to know that he needed to go inside, it didn't matter how dangerous it was he needed to see it for himself. "Is there people still in there?" Lee asked but didn't look to the girl waiting for him to speak to her he only addressed the boy as he nodded

"Your Lee right I'm Sienna and I really think we should just stay calm" she said to him oddly giving him a weird look as he shook his head not really listening to her, he needed to go in it wasn't even about being a hero it was about more than that. It was about proving to himself, proving that today hadn't been the start.

"Yeah sorry but I don't have time for introduction Sienna" Lee turned then as he moved towards the McDonalds ignoring the yells from Sienna telling him that he needed to cover his face it didn't matter though as he moved into the entrance and was encased in the dark smoke that made it almost impossible to see and his eyes literally itch.

"Are you crazy" Cameron's muffled voice yelled once hand holding the neck of his shirt over his nose and mouth while the other hand took a firm hold of Lee's forearm trying to tug him back out of the building.

Lee ignored it though as he saw what looked like a body on the floor just ahead it was too hard to see so he lowered his body crawling along the floor towards the shape. When Lee finally made it to the body it was a girl her face was completely black and she was out cold, warned words filled his memories about how it was the smoke that killed you first. Lee lifted the girl and then turned to Cameron and shoved her into his arms firmly and pointed to the door keeping his own shirt to covering his mouth now. Cameron looked to want to argue with him but with one glance down to the girl in his arms he span and ran out of the entrance, Lee nodded then and moved deeper into the McDonald's the signs over head warn him of the approaching counter.

"Help" Lee heard the barely there croaked cry "make it stop" the voice pleaded and so Lee kept moving forward his eyes hurt so badly as if all the moisture was gone they'd dried out and now just blinking against the smoke made him want to cry out in pain. The smell burnt the hair in his nose and he felt like each little gasp of air was becoming his last, he ran his free hand over and along the counter finding his way around the back into the kitchen area he could feel the heat then.

The fire clung to the walls it was nowhere near the large tubs of fat where the fires were burning and even the large grill tops where burgers would have sizzled were clear. The fire was to the left of the kitchen and it was crawling up the wall and roofing and then spread out over the metal table tops. That wasn't what caught his attention though that was the boy in the corner standing near to the microwave as if frozen in horror, his small hands were alight though in the dark with the crackle of flames. His hands glowed but not outright as if a current was running around his hands following around his fingers and then jumping off his hands slightly. Lee watched as it seemed to jump at anything it could, watched as the spark left his thumb and ran up and along the metal table counter and zinged over lighting the table and all its contents. As Lee rounded the corner he felt the hairs on his arms stick up from the static, even though he looked at the boy shocked it wasn't from seeing something like this it was from seeing something like this again.

_He wasn't the only one._

It had happened so long ago now that he'd pushed it out of his mind almost, he'd been in the backyard shed working on his wood shop project. He'd not been paying enough attention as he listened to fall out boy over the sound system in the corner, he'd closed his eyes and hammered along to the beat while singing and then he'd smashed the hammer down onto his thumb. It had cracked the nail on his thumb and there had been a steady flow of blood, the second he'd pulled his hand back though his other hand had pointed out palm facing the work-top table and a bright white hot flash and appeared and then it was gone all that was left was a gooey mess of burning metal and smoking charred wood. Lee had never told anyone, he'd told himself he was simply sniffing the paint in the shed and he'd hallucinated it he'd barley even seen what had happened he'd just remember a bright flash and the remains.

He knew now though as the younger boy stood still unaware he was being watched that he wasn't alone, Lee had the power and so did this boy Perdido Beach had been coming to a big change long before today he realised completely without hesitation. Lee stumbled over something as he came around the metal counter the boy looking up at him startled and scared. Lee hadn't even had time to speak before the boy raised his hand and the blue spark hit Lee in his arm, he yelped out and watched as his left arm jerked without any control from him it was exactly how he'd thought a stun gun would feel. The intensely painful sensation travelled along his arm and down his side where it hit making Lee crash into the burning counter top he felt the sizzle of his skin burn against it but where his palms lay flat nothing at all. Lee turned to the boy again his own right hand coming up now without even thinking about doing it both stood fearful and ready, Lee didn't want to but his body it was like it was protecting himself a new instinct he'd never had before was controlling him, removing the danger.

"No don't" Lee yelled as the boy fired the odd blue spark.

It never reached though him though not before Lee was releasing his own power like a white liquid it shot in a straight line towards the boy, the aim was off but Lee watched in horror. It was like liquid fire anything it touched it hissed and melted he realised then what the meaning of white hot had always meant as the wall behind burnt through with the contact of the beam. The spark hit Lee knocking him off his feet as he jerked on the ground as if he was having a seizure, the boy had gotten him good but Lee knew it didn't matter. No matter why he'd come in here it hadn't been for what had happened as he watched the boy collapse with a wet thud his face pointed towards Lee. He could feel the vomit rise up from his stomach and empty onto the floor over himself as he continued to shack while being sick. The boy had caught some of Lee's power across his face and it had melted the skin on contact and that melted skin and further burned over his neck and into the shirt he wore. Lee didn't move as he sobbed in pain and disgust, he gasped for breath finally remembering that he needed to get out but he didn't want to. He was a killer, he hadn't meant to though he didn't want to hurt the boy he'd been relieved to find someone like him he wasn't alone in it but when he'd turned that stun gun spark on him Lee had returned it in kind with something so much more lethal and destroying. Lee panted in the darkness then his eyes burning from smoke his skin burnt from the counter, vomit on the neck of his shirt. He couldn't breathe all he could focus on was the boy across the kitchen floor who was already dead and as the air grew impossibly thick Lee knew that may be his fate too...

* * *

**There you go another chapter I'm not sure if I'll be able to update everyday like I've been doing but I'll try my best to keep the chapter's coming frequently. Like before I'd really just like to thank those of you who are reading and have reviewed what I've written it's always great hearing what people think. Also a special thank you to ****_MyCrazyBeautifulLife, The Lady Cloudy, ShadowDude90, Stalking dream _****and ****_DeathAngel80_**** all of your character's have been really fun to write with and I hope your enjoying reading how I bring them to life in this story so far. Well there you have it anyway, anyone coming to this a little late I'm still taking character's the sheet is in the AN at the bottom of chapter one. **


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four**

_Previously: _

_He couldn't breathe all he could focus on was the boy across the kitchen floor who was already dead and as the air grew impossibly thick Lee knew that may be his fate too..._

* * *

Cameron had never considered Lee the heroic type, most of their lives he'd been slightly undisciplined and easily distracted by something or someone. That had always been his character. Cameron wouldn't say that his friend since childhood was lazy though even with his easy going feel to almost everything Lee was never one to sit around and let time pass him by. Lee had always been the leader of their little duo though, whenever Lee had come up with a new quick scheme to get money or figure out a way to do something they shouldn't have been it came from Lee. Cameron was just always the willing participant in the schemes, as the years went on more people joined his group but Cameron knew that in the end he and Lee would remain. He wouldn't get all sentimental and girly and say they were BFF's or anything but if anyone was going to be best friends forever he knew they stood a great chance in that. That was why when he'd seen his best friend storm into the burning building he'd not needed to think he'd gone straight in behind him because that was his friend and they always stuck together. Even when the world seemed to be falling out of the plan that it had always followed before.

"Cover your mouth and nose" Sienna had called out to Cameron, her attempt to warn off Lee had been null and void he couldn't help the smile at his friend as he brushed her off when his mind was set it took a hell of a lot to turn him away from it. Or Louise, Cameron thought and right now the one person who usually kept Lee from running in head first wasn't around just like the adults weren't around to prevent the fire in the first place.

Cameron had pulled up the neck of his shirt in a way to cover his mouth and nose but honestly doubted how much it would help as he entered into the thickly filled smoke fast food joint. He'd barely seen Lee right in front of him as he'd grabbed his friend to try and pull him back out before he got himself or the both of them killed. Lee wasn't about to be reasoned with or stopped though when he moved further into what they'd both know as McDonalds. When Lee had placed the body in Cameron's arms though he'd felt completely out of his depth now because he understood that it was truly inspiring that this side of his friend was coming through but this wasn't them, it wasn't supposed to be their job. In a normal world where everyone over the age of fourteen hadn't disappeared Lee would have made morbid jokes about the fire and Cameron would have laughed all while trying to protest the comment and disagree. He'd woken up this morning your typical teenager and in a matter of hours he'd turned into someone who hid food for emergencies and now was answering the calls of a fire like a fireman. Cameron didn't argue this time though even if he wanted to be who he had when he woke up this morning right now he needed to be responsible and mature. So he turned and ran back out following the movement of the thick toxic fumes that clouded around him until he was coughing and gasping for breath once he was out in the open.

"Come on lay her down" Cameron was shocked when he was shook as he'd stood there frozen while taking in greedy pulls of the fresh air, he placed the girl down on the ground as Sienna and the smaller girl beside her splashed bottled water over the girls face.

"Is she going to be okay?" Cameron asked then finally speaking feeling he was in control enough of his breathing he felt jittery and full of energy, he knew it was probably the adrenaline working in his system. Sienna looked up from her kneeled position over the girl and gave him a look that he would have guessed slightly condescending and it annoyed him as he turned back to the smoke "I should head back in" he said even though he had no idea why he needed to tell this girl that he barely even knew her but he'd realised quickly it had been her who had put Kale and some of the guys to the task of getting hoses as they now stood spraying the walls on either side of the McDonalds so that the fire wouldn't spread. It was an attempt at least to stop it from possibly spreading.

"I don't think that's such a good idea you're lucky you got in and out with her" Sienna said like there was even a chance that he would leave Lee inside there, he felt in his gut like he needed to go back in even if his mind was screaming at him that he shouldn't. That was Lee though, the guy he'd learnt to ride his bike with, who he'd smoked his first cigarette with who he'd shared his first stolen beer with from his dad's stash during the Christmas party when they were ten. There wasn't a bone in Cameron that could leave Lee behind when there was a chance he'd need Cameron's help so Sienna warning him away was pointless he doubted she'd understand that though.

"He's my best friend" Cameron said simply with a sheepish grin and shrugged his shoulders before turning and running straight into the thick black smoke to drag out his friend this time.

Cameron didn't call out to Lee knowing to do that would just be risking inhaling more smoke and he could tell from the acidic smell even with his shirt covering his nose that plastic was burning and a lot of it. So he wouldn't yell out to Lee because it would risk himself and he knew Lee would answer back so he thought he was doing them both a favour. The deeper he moved into the normally packed McDonalds the thicker the smoke grew and the harder it seemed to be to remember the set up of the tables. He'd been in the place more times than he could count on his hands but he couldn't for the life of him remember how the tables and counters were set up. He was just used to seeing masses of groups anywhere between four to sometimes large parties of teenagers crowded around small square tables or booths. There were no people though now to use to direct him, fortunately the overhead menu was still a light the smoke was clinging to the roof a lot worse further back and it gave an eerie appearance as he read off the prices and the special deal on the new McFlury. It was a thanksgiving one that had some sort of pumpkin pie flavouring added to it, he'd told himself he was going to try it but he doubted he'd be tasting it any time soon now. Cameron moved around the counter the opening already raised as he stepped down and entered around the employee area now.

It was when he rounded the corner into the main area of the kitchen that he felt the wave of heat, it reminded of when he'd been in Florida for spring break with his parents at universal studios. Cameron had been buckled in for the Return of the Mummy ride and when the flames ignited overhead you could feel the heat over your body even though you were safe. This was the real thing though now as the wave hit him full forces making him feel the damp sweat build on his forehead instantly, he hoped Lee was close because he truly didn't want to be up close with the fire. That long standing brotherhood though kept him moving forward, he rounded around the large flat grill tops when the flames that were hugging the walls and roofing following an odd pattern. Cameron had taken one look and knew it was an electrical fire, he'd seen something on a documentary once during the summers when he was bored and just laying around on the sofa watching nothing. Cameron stopped though when through the gap of the shelving he could see a boy standing in the corner close to the fire, Cameron rubbed at his raw eyes not believing the strange glow that seemed to shimmer around his fingers. The boys face was scared but his small hand was outstretched not directing at Cameron but someone else. It was Lee.

Cameron watched in panic as Lee seemed to be jerking, no not jerking his left arm was jolting around like he'd been struck by a taser, the sickening hiss as Lee braced himself against the metal top that was scorching hot from the fire. Cameron felt his throat close up he had no idea what was happening no understanding at all what to do either but he felt completely frozen in his spot watching from behind the safety of the shelving and counter. It was the look on Lee's face though, Cameron knew he'd never forget it he'd never seen his friends face like this before he'd always been happy go lucky go with the flow Lee. The look on Lee's face though was the strangest mixture of complete fear and yet it morphed slowly while he raised his other hand directing it towards the smaller boy into something daring, challenging. Cameron had seen his best friend high, upset, angry, joyful but he'd never seen him like this, like there was a part of him Cameron had never known existed inside of Lee.

"No don't" Lee yelled.

Then Cameron watched in fascination as a spark seemed to leap from the boys hand towards Lee, it was completely outshined though when a white light ripped across the room. Cameron had never seen anything like it before in his life, the white substance seemed to shoot from Lee's hand and arched across the space dripping as if it was a liquid. Cameron never took his eyes away from its path though as it slapped against the wall with a wet sound and then crackled and burned like a fire, it wasn't liquid fire and it wasn't acid but it was just as lethal as if it were. More lethal than anything he'd ever seen or even heard off. Lee hadn't even directly hit the boy but some of the white beam had dripped and sprayed down as it went overhead and then Cameron could watch no more. It worked like acid and fire too, melted it but also scorched and turned it black the boy was dead the second it had caught him Cameron knew that before it he had heard the thud. Cameron stood then not even moving everything had stopped to exist in that moment because suddenly a town full of adults disappearing wasn't all that disturbing when compared to the battle he'd just watched take place in a burning down McDonalds.

"Move ya ass outta the way Carmen" Kale shoved passed the hose spraying from the nozzle that he held tightly it seemed someone had finally been daring enough to face the fire "All this smoke and people are saying it's hard to breath" he laughed but it was muffled his shirt was off and drenched in water and wrapped around the bottom half of his face "you wanna see a smoke room y'all should see what I can do with a few joints and my basement" Cameron couldn't find it in him to laugh though as Kale moved around the corner stumbled across Lee's prone body on the floor gasping and panting for air, Cameron saw the odd look Kale gave him as if questioning why he wasn't helping his friend.

Cameron got back to his senses then as he moved to Lee leaning down to grab him by the arm and hissed pulling back his hand as he felt the electric shock when they touched. His eyes turning back to the boy across the open area of the kitchen, someone would have to deal with that a dead kid. Adults had been gone more than a couple of hours and a kid was already dead, Cameron couldn't even think of a positive to pull from today not even as his stoner buddy did more work then he'd ever done in his life to put out a fire he couldn't be proud. Cameron gripped hold of Lee then and used the wall to try and position him so Lee as slightly slumped into his side and pulled him out of the way. Kale continued hosing down the fire but they'd need more than one garden hose to put it out so Kale moved to Cameron and helped him with Lee dragging him out of there quickly. Neither Kale nor Cameron mentioned the dead boy in the corner of that kitchen once as they pulled Lee out, not even when a girl had sobbed and cried asking about her brother Kyle they'd only shared one look. Kale didn't know what Cameron knew though.

Kale didn't know that Lee had done something in there. That Kyle the boy had also done something in there, two unbelievable things the two boys were capable of but Lee had been the more deadly and dangerous of the two. He wouldn't argue that he'd seen the boy aim and harm Lee first, you could argue it had been self defence but no one would listen to that no one would believe that.

Cameron was left with Lee then as he dragged his body off to the side and let him down gently onto the curb sitting beside his best friend covering his welled up eyes. No one approached Lee or Cameron though a sense of dread hovering around them thick and palpable almost like the smoke that was still leaving the open doors of the McDonalds. Cameron was thankful when Kale and a few other males rushed back into the McDonalds now to claps and applause for being so brave to do what some adults wouldn't even dare do. Cameron could only look at his friend as he lay there unconscious remembering all the fun times they'd had while being kids, right now Cameron didn't feel like much of a kid anymore. Like that one moment had aged him decades. Cameron remembered learning to swim in the ocean with his dad and Lee, even remembered when Lee had called him after his and Louise first date, even more recently with his worries about his parents possible splitting up. They had always told each other everything no matter what it was.

Until now.

"When did you start keeping secrets from me man" Cameron wiped the lone tear off his cheek because it was suddenly all too much to try and be the big tough guy that didn't cry. He'd just seen his best friend do something he didn't think him capable of. Cameron had just witnessed someone's murder.

****~~**ABSENT**~~****

Kale felt worshipped. Well it wasn't just him it seemed that he and his little band of fire fighter's were basking in the glow of praise and endearment of the other's around the plaza. Stoner Kale had become Fire fighter Kale. He felt like running around and yelling insults at people though because he didn't like it, were these kids idiots did they not see that it had been Cameron and Lee who had ran into that building not caring about themselves. Even now as Kale nonchalantly forced smiles and thanks to those who actually came forward to say anything he couldn't wrap his head around why he'd agreed to do what that mousy girl had said. He'd had retorts a miles long to snidely reply to her when she'd asked him but it been like his mouth had cut off his brain and answered in a way he'd have never done so usually. There he'd been then with his usual bored and sarcastic attitude trying to stop a fire spreading, other's helped because...well it was pretty simple if Kale Mason could be bothered to help then there was no excuse for anyone else. The McDonalds continued to smoke though even though now the fire was out, not much truly bothered Kale seeing Lee on the ground in his own vomit with burns and black soot clinging to him had though. Kale respected Lee he was the only person in the school who had balls enough to do what he wanted not matter who judged him. If he wanted to go to school in a ballerina leotard he'd do it and anyone that said anything about it didn't matter, that was cool by his books. Lee was also one of the few people that gave back just as hard when Kale insulted or mocked them.

Kale coughed roughly hocked back phlegm and then spat it to the ground wiping his lips he could still taste the smoke "Attractive" Kale heard said sarcastically as he looked to Sienna standing with her arms crossed unsure over her chest

"Well you know what they say some of us are just naturally blessed" Kale smirked then reaching into his pocket for his pack of cigarettes then stopping he'd probably inhaled more than enough smoke for the day and patted his pant pocket leaving them there.

"I told the boys sister" Sienna said with the both exchanging a grim look between each other, Sienna had rushed to Kale as him and the other's had gone to carry the boy out. In reality he'd been thankful she'd stopped him because no one wanted to see a badly burnt kid, especially not the sister who had been in hysterics since she realised her brother was nowhere to be found. Kale had found out the kid had been called Kyle, all he knew was that his face was badly burnt in a horrible sickening way that he would very much be okay with never having to think about for the rest of his life. "Don't you think it was weird?" Sienna asked then pulling back Kale's attention to her

"What was weird? Going to be honest Perdido seems to have weird slapped right on the welcoming sign along with Fallout Alley" Kale scrubbed his hand over his face sighing then fixed his eyes back onto Sienna as she seemed to be struggling with something that was on her mind, he doubted he'd honestly care what it was.

"The boy" Sienna said Kale raising his hand to stop her "No listen. I know it's gross and it's messed up but I need to say something because it's" she waved her hand around her head frantically and Kale laughed shaking his head at her, surely there was someone more suited for this poor chick to listen to her maybe Cameron he thought "The boy Kyle. He was burnt we know that but... it wasn't normal" she whispered moving to sit beside Kale but ensuring to keep a distance, he knew she didn't like him tolerated him maybe because he'd listened when it been important "Skin doesn't melt like that when burnt. You could see his cheekbone and even that wasn't normal it..." she took a deep breath and looked physically sick as she tried to get it all out, maybe she was coping like Kale was but where he'd rather just brush it aside bury it deep with the other bad memories she seemed to want to blurt it out get it out of her somehow.

"What are you trying to say? I'm not expecting on burn victims or even fires unless it's my lighter I can do some nifty little tricks with a lighter. Even blow smoke rings when I'm smoking up" he continued he wasn't that guy or type of person even to look deeper into things he took things at face value, he wasn't asking why the adults were gone he accepted that for right now they were and he'd deal just like everyone else would have too. Moaning and crying about it wasn't going to change anything, he knew that from experience.

"What I'm trying to say is that I don't think the fire was what killed that little boy" Sienna said firmly then her eyes casting over to where Cameron sat still shaken from what had happened Lee still out cold beside him, no one would be rushing the two for what had happened inside. The way Sienna was looking at Cameron though was accusing and it wasn't just Cameron it was Lee too she seemed to be giving him this vibe like she was in for them. "Something happened in there. I want to know what happened once the smoke clears I'll look around the kitchen area see how the fire started. I don't think he died from the fire which means he died by something else" Sienna finally turned her gaze back to Kale but he was already on his feet and moving away from her as she hopped back up to try and keep up with him.

"Okay listen here copper-top" Kale span back around to face Sienna sneering almost as he moved closed enough to whisper "I see the way you're looking at my boys over there but your wrong. They went in there to help and you're going to start some witch hunt because your little head can't figure out why the kid's face burned off. You ain't no doctor you're a dumb ass kid like all of us" Kale growled snapping his teeth audibly "You go after them all accusing but they stepped up where were you sweetheart while I was collecting equipment with the guys and Cameron and Lee were running into a burning building to save lives. Oh yeah right you stood around doing nothing but try and dictate orders" Kale then stepped back then looking over Sienna's shocked face and stormed off pulling the cigarette pack from his pocket and placing one between his lips.

"Wait Kale" Sienna growled behind him in evident frustration as she moved quickly to be in front of him walking backwards as she tried to keep him where he was "I get it those two are your weed buddies or whatever"

"Lee is my weed buddy Cameron isn't as into the bong hitting" Kale interrupted her as he blew out smoke not caring if it went in her face as she waved it away.

"Just stop jackass" Sienna then stopped her foot pushing at his chest then but Kale stopped at her words as she demanded "One of the kids they said something about Kyle said he was doing something. He said that Kyle had sparks shooting out of his hands that's... I don't even know what that's supposed to mean. It does though Kale I can feel it something happened in there that wasn't just some run of the mill fire" Kale listened to her though because a memory of a flash of light in the dark had happened while he'd been trying to guide his way through the smoke in the McDonalds he'd brushed it aside thinking it must have been a burst of flame but what else could it have possibly been.

"So some kid is hallucinating because of the smoke and suddenly you think this kid could start a fire with his hands" Kale shook his head skeptical "you been smoking my stuff Sienna because I'm telling you right now copper-top your tripping big time" Kale laughed flicking the ash off his cigarette folding it between his fingers as she looked at him angrily

"Believe what you have too but I think Cameron is acting weird" This time Kale cut her off with a scoff and stepped away from her.

"He just saw a dead body and found his best friend passed out on the ground is how is he supposed to be acting? The adults are gone for no damn reason no one has showed up and then kids are playing firemen and seeing dead bodies. Excuse me for people acting a little off" Kale sighed ran his hand through his hair and took another lengthy inhale blowing out the smoke through his nostrils "I thought you were supposed to be one of these smarts girls" Kale could see that the girl was getting upset maybe not with what he was saying but just in general and he got that, kids were upset all over the plaza right now everything was all over the place.

"I just wanted some answers" she huffed out crossing her arms over her chest with a pitiful pout on her pink lips which Kale noticed and actually found rather attractive he wasn't sure about all of her but her shiny lips looked more than inviting.

"Ever think that sometimes there isn't an answer to everything?" Kale waved his arms around to the kids that had taken up the space within the plaza hanging out amongst friends "Just relax okay we're all in the same boat and I don't think any of us are getting any answers soon" Kale then uncharacteristically reached out and gave her shoulder a squeeze "How about we go get a drink from the grocery store. It's on me" Kale winked and turned her round and pushed her slightly in the direction

"There's no one to make you pay" Sienna pointed out with a slight nervous giggle.

"Exactly. See your learning" Kale mocked playfully as the two moved towards the grocery store that had kids coming and going from with food and drink in their hands.

****~~**ABSENT**~~****

Lee felt like a heavy weight was resting on his chest while he was immersed in darkness that dreaded feeling as if he couldn't breathe he'd heard one of the worst ways to die was by drowning. Was drowning on smoke any less terrible then drowning in water though really, it certainly felt traumatic but then everything since he'd entered that kitchen had been horrible. Even now while he was still encased in some sort of restless unconsciousness his mind replied the haunting moment he'd seen the boys face. That would haunt him forever, when the adults showed up would they investigate into it of course they would but was there any scientist or law enforcement officer that could at all even consider the idea of what had really happened. He knew he wasn't dead now though. That seemed the only thing he was certain of as the weight seemed to lessen on him but the ache remained over his chest and throat like he'd spent a night drinking and smoking. How he wished that was what this was one messed up hangover dream that when he opened his eyes his mom would be standing over him holding a glass of water and some painkillers with that same old disapproving look every parent mastered for when their kids became teenagers. So he forced his eyes open and found that he wasn't looking up at the ceiling, no above him seemed to be the sky dark blue in colour with the scattering of stars overhead. His eyes stung and even as he blinked to somehow stop the irritation it didn't seem to help at all they were raw and tender no doubt from the smoke, at least he was alive. It echoed in his mind he was lucky to be alive he'd passed out that much was obvious inhaled too much smoke probably or maybe the boy his power the shocking maybe had been too much. Or maybe it was just down to being too much, he passed out because his mind couldn't handle any more it was done, it needed a break from the world that Lee was living in now.

"Here drink this" A water bottle was held over him as he hissed and pushed himself up the sting was worst around his arm and he winced shifting as he tried to take in his surroundings seeing Cameron sitting beside him holding the water "poor a little on your eyes it's what I did just need to get used to it" Cameron's voice was rougher than usual he noted but something was off about his friend the way he was avoiding looking at him directly.

"Thanks" Lee rasped out taking the water from Cameron's hand and took the cap off guzzling some of the water down then coughing harshly after it cleared out the initial dryness but it wasn't great "So I made it out?" Lee asked unsure as he leant his head forward between his legs and poured the water over his face forcing himself to keep his eyes open as the cold water made contact.

"Yeah just you were passed out. Kale helped" Cameron explained as the too stared ahead the street lights were on now casting light over the plaza now some of the kids had gone it appeared but more were still around with lawn chairs, even a few bean bags it was strange and yet comforting that they'd stuck together like this "Smoke didn't both Kale but then again he smokes so much he probably found breathing in there easier than he does out here" Cameron laughed then it was strained but Lee turned to him and grinned seeing his friend back in that comment.

"What happened?" Lee finally asked turning his arm over then and seeing the red and blistered skin, it was odd the way the second his eyes fixed on the large swells that he instantly began to sting he used the last of the water pouring it over the burn on the back of his arm and lightly brushed his fingers over it closing his eyes and hissing through the pain.

"Kale found you on the ground he was trying to use the garden hose to put out the fire but it wasn't doing much on his own. The both of us carried you out here, Kyle he died" Cameron said and then that name it sat on Lee's shoulders like someone had physically put a boulder on his shoulders to carry because he would he would carry Kyle on him guilt ridden with what had happened. His ultimate secret and act of evil. Even if he hadn't meant to harm him even if he'd told the boy not to he'd fired back, he'd aimed and fired and he'd won. It was a hollow victory though because that hadn't been the point of him entering, he'd proven he wasn't the only one but with that answer there was then more question that needed answers.

_Was there anyone else out there? _

_What else could they do? _

_Was someone more deadly and lethal then he had been?_

_Should he tell anyone?_

_Would they believe it was an accident that he hadn't meant too? _

Kids without adults was bad enough but kids who could shoot things out of their hands more dangerous than guns that was insane, it was something Lee didn't want a part in "a few of us older kids we told everyone to just stick together. Either go to their homes or stay in the plaza but not to be alone. The older kids with younger siblings are all helping take care of the littler children in the day care for now until we get a system" Cameron said he'd not been unaware of how he hadn't said _"until the adults show up"_ it was responsible though to do it that way because it was clearly evening and no one had come, other's would know by now and the fact that no one had shown made Lee doubted anyone would be coming at all.

"What's happening with Kyle?" Lee had to ask even though he struggled around his name, he couldn't imagine them just leaving his body in that kitchen it seemed so wrong.

"His sister Beth she wanted to bury him. Sienna said we shouldn't decide that yet in case ya'know. Beth wanted to bury him in the plaza it's near the church..." he paused unsure what else to say Lee nodded though Beth should be allowed to bury her little brother wherever she wanted that wasn't Sienna's decision.

"I'll help her tomorrow. We'll bury him here" Lee whispered his mind made up, he'd show his respects to Kyle he'd do this for him out of duty and shame that it had been his hand to end his life "You make sure Beth knows that I'll help that tomorrow we can do a service for Kyle" Lee croaked out and covered his face with his hands his shoulders shaking slightly as he tried to stop himself it all becoming too overwhelming "oh god man he was just a kid" Lee felt comforted when Cameron reached out and wrapped his arm around his shoulders while Lee tried to find some control of it all he didn't deserve to shed tears.

"It's okay man we'll both help Beth anything she wants for him. It's okay Lee I understand" Lee turned to look at Cameron and felt like he was trying to tell him something but how could Cameron understand at all the guilt and shame that was ruining his control. No one in this plaza could know the guilt of taking a life, no one would know the shame of lying so that they'd never look at you differently because Lee knew that everyone would hate him if they knew. "Come on we've got some work to do" Cameron stood up pulling at Lee's arm as the two stood looking around Lee's gaze avoiding the plaza completely "I need to get our stash up to Clifftop remember, man you should see how careless people are being with the food in the stores around here it's just stupid and well" Cameron blew out a breathe "I'll just say it if adults don't show we'll need the food okay and if we aren't smart with it now it'll run out" Lee nodded understanding, it may not be a worry for them for a long time considering all the houses full of food too but it was a valid concern to have. Clifftop was also somewhere that was mainly for adults the Clifftop resort was like a hotel country club and the both of them had decided there were few kids that would even bother heading up there.

"No it's cool we'll do it now might as well do something to keep my head occupied on something productive" Lee nodded and the two walked then through the town plaza Lee wasn't oblivious to the stares and pointed glances from people as they whispered about Cameron and him as they exited the plaza. They walked towards Cameron's father's shop some of the houses were all alight with some kids in, Lee assumed they'd gone home with friends probably. More houses remained with the lights off though then on which looked odd for this time of the night, usually all of the houses were bright with light it made Perdido a lot darker than usual he was thankful for the street lights over head.

Just a little ahead Lee noticed that two figures stood with some sort of cart in front of them he could just about make out the orange hair of that girl who had been outside the McDonald's earlier. As Lee and Cameron got closer he could make out that there was another person hunched over the cart the back of the person rising quickly, as if panting. The other person beside Sienna was Kale which was a surprise Kale wasn't one to go for company especially company like the girl Sienna but then maybe Lee didn't know Kale as well as he thought they were friends but not really that close to know each other's type. It was when the figure turned up to look at Sienna and Kale that he knew who it was, Riley Kramer she was a mess he'd not skirt around it. She looked like she'd ran a marathon through mud covered in sweat and dirt her face was even covered in a dark burgundy sheen that he knew was dried blood. Lee knew Riley for only one reason, she was hot. Lee wasn't talking just hot though the girl was scorching and he'd considered trying his luck many times when he and Louise were on breaks. She was a dancer all slender and curvy in the perfect way she had a better body then some girls three years older than her, there was one thing that everyone knew about Riley also though. She was high society, in other words people like Lee weren't even on the girls radar. She came from money and girls like Riley Kramer didn't even acknowledge guys like Kale, Lee and Cameron so they'd never even bothered just made the usual blunt and crude comments about what they wished they could do to her while keeping to girls from their own circle. It was all very high school but what did anyone expect they were high schoolers.

"What the hell do you mean I can't go into the plaza" riley sneered at Kale and Sienna like a wild animal and with the state of her appearance he wouldn't have put it past her in that moment to bite them in her rage. Lee could see now that in the cart was the guy that Riley was seen hanging out with sometimes, rumored to be her boyfriend but he was her dance partner from what Riley's friends had said. Riley was professional didn't mix business with pleasure, typical Riley.

"If the kids see him they'll freak out and I honestly don't think right now is the time for causing more panic then we already have" Sienna said back evenly Lee had to hand it to her the girl didn't even flinch under the scrutinizing glare of Riley.

"I pushed him here all the way from the highway" Riley shrieked looking a little mentally unstable in that moment "He needs help. We need help there was a crash and the adults they..." Riley moved her dirty hands from the edge of the cart and sobbed loudly wiping at her eyes, she looked like she'd gone through hell the normally perfectly put together doctors daughter was a complete mess. Lee found no pleasure in that though.

"Just let her push him on through" Lee said then making his and Cameron's presence known "you're not in charge and it's obvious she's hurt the guy too. Either move out the way or help her push the damn thing but don't stand around dictating orders...again" Lee said then firmly shaking his head not agreeing with this, turning away scared and hurt kids that wasn't how things were supposed to be.

"Dude you don't get it you know what'll happen if anyone sees him this way" Lee took another look this time and peered into the cart the towels were pushed aside and Lee visibly paled and the disturbing sight of the guys legs and then up to Riley sympathetically.

"The church it has a medical area we can enter in through the side and there should be at least a first aid kit" Cameron said but refused to move closer as Lee looked from him to the guy, a first aid kit would do him no help now.

"That's right it would be better but..." Sienna looked between them all then shaking her head and straightening her posture "maybe it's cruel to say but I'm sorry there isn't anyone around that can help him. I don't even know if a doctor would be able to work with him now, you know that better than any of us no doubt" Sienna nodded her head at Riley as she continued to cry silently but looked a little more hopeful to not be sent away.

"Here move out the way you've done enough" Lee said as Cameron and he moved around the cart to where Riley was, she covered the males legs with the towels in the car and then Cameron and Lee pushed the cart forward as Riley walked alongside them Sienna and Kale walking ahead towards the church.

"Thank you" Riley whispered to Lee as she wiped her runny nose with the sleeve of her shirt, if Louise had seen this she'd have never worried about Lee's wondering eye ever again. Lee didn't reply though because what was one good deed when he'd committed one of the most awful of sins, he wasn't about to tell Riley either that he doubted her friend lasted long without actual medical care either. The day hadn't even ended and Lee was already making a total in his head of how many lives had been claimed to this anomaly, he couldn't even guess but he knew one thing with a dread sureness. The numbers of those lost would only keep rising while there was no one to save them.

* * *

**Here's another chapter I managed to get some time in to write. I'm really enjoying writing this which makes it easy to put aside a little time in my day to work on a chapter for you guys who are reading. Just like to thank all of you that are still following the story and those who are also reviewing and PMing me about what they think. Like always I'd like to thank the special few that have offered up characters for me to use at my disposal in this story MyCrazyBeautifulLife, The Lady Cloudy, ShadowDude90, Stalking dream and DeathAngel80. Hope you'll all let me know what you think and if there is anything I should improve on or maybe something you'd all like to see in the future chapters. Still looking for character's I'm afraid and it may become harder to continue writing if I don't get some more to work with, so all of you let me know what you like or maybe even predictions on where you think I'm taking it. I'm interested in all of your thoughts.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five**

_Previously:_

_The day hadn't even ended and Lee was already making a total in his head of how many lives had been claimed to this anomaly, he couldn't even guess but he knew one thing with a dread sureness. _

_The numbers of those lost would only keep rising while there was no one to save them._

* * *

Sienna didn't argue when Lee and Cameron showed up to defend perfect little Riley Kramer, it wasn't that she didn't like her or maybe that was the point she didn't like Riley. In another time and place where things were different maybe she and Riley could have been friends, both intelligent both close to the same age. Riley was the popular version though in many ways to Sienna and she'd not liked that comparison, not liked when teachers commented on how well the two would work together, or compared each other's work against each other. Riley with her perfect blonde hair and legs that went on for days, she was jealous even her parents seemed perfect both important doctors in the local hospital. Sienna had always secretly wondered why her parents hadn't enrolled Riley into Coates, then again everybody knew that Coates wasn't just a school for the rich it was for those who couldn't be controlled by normal schools. Coates where all the neglected kids were shipped off to when they acted out for attention, it had always been how Sienna had viewed the large school down the highway. She knew in some way her argument was petty but even so she'd been honest about anyone seeing James, kids had just seen the horrible reality of a fire with no adults to put it out or save those inside. She didn't think kids needed to see a broken boy who had no way of getting professional help, not that any doctor could fix him now.

"All the kings horses and all the kings men" she mumbled under her breath as she walked along side Kale the squeaking sound of the strained wheel's under the cart a constant behind them both as Lee and Cameron too over pushing it for Riley.

"And people say I'm a douche" Kale smirked down at Sienna as she blushed realising he'd heard what she'd said under her breath "I get it though. Dancing Queen is done for what use will he be to the world without his jive step or whatever the hell" Kale shrugged waving his hand in front of him down at his feet as they walked.

Kale had been a nice surprise in the end Sienna had admitted, everything about him told her she shouldn't like him from the way he dressed to even the constant smoking and horrible sarcastic comments he made about everyone. Kale wasn't someone who seemed to want friends, he didn't appear to be capable of tolerating anyone but his own presence maybe his sister Jacey too but even around her he dealt with her with a bored nonchalance. That moment though when he'd believed she was accusing his friends and maybe she had something had come out of Kale that she doubted anyone had seen before, a fire some sort of passion that was wrapped in a loyalty no one would believe Kale held for anyone. She was sure that there was other things about him that were redeeming but his loyalty to his friends had woke her up to Kale as more than a trouble maker. What had bothered her though, was knowing she had no one like that. She had no Lee or Cameron to do stupid things with or who stuck together even when it meant physically putting yourself in harm's way, she didn't have a Kale who would stand up for her when someone thought badly of her and it hurt. Intelligence had only given her isolation from others her own age. Even beautiful brilliant Riley had friends. So Sienna had decided then she would try to be Kale's friend maybe he'd laugh at her mock her for being stupid and naive that they could never be friends but the world had just changed dramatically and Kale was still around. Why couldn't this change too, something for the better at least?

"It's long everything keeps getting worse though Kale. It's not even been a day how much more bad news can we get? More kids would have been in cars how many are slowly dying or have because of..." they hadn't come up with something to name the big event that had taken all of the adults from Perdido Beach.

"The FAYZ" Kale chuckled shaking his head amused while Sienna looked at him confused as to what he was talking about he smiled ruefully and looked around him "It's only a phase get it FAYZ. F...A...Y...Z" She had to admit it sounded good "phase" this was only a phase something that would come and go but why the change in spelling "For a genius you're not all witty are you Fallout Alley Youth Zone, Sienna. It's the FAYZ only kids left in good old Fallout Alley now" Sienna smiled then as he explained it because she couldn't believe it had been Kale who had come up with it, both equally smart and funny she wondered what he was truly like without the sarcasm and weed.

"That's pretty genius Kale. The FAYZ it definitely gives us something to call this all" Sienna pumped her hip into Kale's then as they moved around the church wall, the side entrance had a gate where she believed they moved things into the building from when they either had food for the kitchens or even when they were having new furniture placed in.

Fortunately the gate wasn't locked as it normally would have been at this time of the evening but one thing was certain they'd not be able to get the cart through the gap way. Sienna finally turned back to Lee, Cameron and Riley and felt bad that she'd hadn't offered to help them Riley looked the worse but even Lee and Cameron still covered in soot slime from the fire and red eyed. Riley looked older though not in her usual way though she looked haggard and aged beyond her fourteen years, Sienna felt guilty at the pang of amusement that Riley didn't look so beautiful in this moment but she knew as night turned to day that after a shower and change of clothes Riley would be perfection once again. Why couldn't she hate her, not just dislike but truly hate. Sympathy she put it down to because she truly did feel sorry for what Riley must have had to endure to get not only herself here but also James.

"We'll carry him" rasped out Lee his voice was deep and rough still from the smoke he'd been passed out for hours and straight away he was in action again. She wasn't sure if she felt respect or annoyance at him, there was one thing she knew though and that he made her nervous call it paranoia but all she could think about was how he'd looked before running into that building. She'd caught him in her sight listening in on the conversation with the boy what he'd been saying about the odd thing happening to Kyle's hands Lee hadn't even waited then he'd been gone. Maybe she was just untrusting and looking for someone to point the finger at but Lee he was a mystery, other than a few times she'd barely even consider knowing him. Cameron was the nice guy she'd always known that of the three, Kale was the blunt and rude one but he was honest and didn't hide it. Lee though he always seemed to be there both Kale and Cameron willing to do as he wished, she thought he was dangerous and the memory she'd thought of earlier of him and Kale fighting there had been a familiar look he'd had before going into the fire and that was it that moment before punching Kale he'd looked the same. She knew logically she was over thinking and analysing everything, if Kale knew she was thinking it she'd probably get another harsh telling off with his usual taunting names of _"copper top"_ or even _"sweetheart"_ she wasn't sure which bothered her more.

"Yeah I'll go ahead open up the Church. You show them in" Kale pointed to me giving me a look "brace ya self sweetheart because the guys about to wake up something horrible" Kale said then darted off ahead as Sienna turned to James his eyes fluttering, she cringed at the thought of him being moved while conscious and almost couldn't stomach watching as they moved to start getting things in action but morbidly curious couldn't look away. It reminded her of the horror movies she'd watched in the past how she knew the victim was about to be killed gruesomely so she covered her face but always left big enough a gap to look between.

Riley showed Cameron where a lock was and the two of them lowered the one side of the cart as Lee moved forward and slipped his forearms under James' sweat soaked armpits. The moment Lee shifted him to angle James out he cried, not a weak and pitiful one she expected but an almost howl like a dying animal. Lee pushed Riley back then as she tried to move forward crying, Lee continued though his face set emotionless as he yanked James body forward and then heaved him up onto his shoulder. It was the first time Sienna noticed just how differently built Lee was to Cameron and Kale all three held similar physique all in great shape, Cameron was a little bulkier then Kale who was lean like a swimmer not that she knew if he did. Lee was all shoulders and broad chest as he seemed to hold the smaller body onto him, no wonder it taken both Kale and Cameron to drag Lee out.

"Leave the cart here we'll need it" Cameron said to Lee his friend not paying much attention other than to nod as he tried to make sure he held James in a way that caused him as little movement.

"What do you need it for?" Sienna couldn't help but ask as Lee moved around her prone position, Riley following close behind still wiping at her tired tear filled eyes. Cameron looked Sienna over then and shrugged his shoulders but his face looked as if he wasn't sure if to share a secret, she was already suspicious of the two this was only making it harder to try and push away.

"My dad's stock we're moving it. I can't do anything about the other stores but I'm not letting people trash it" Cameron told her and she nodded understanding but still thinking that wasn't all the two would be doing.

"Come on guys talk later" Kale shouted from the doorway into the church waving Cameron and Sienna to him, Lee had already carried a screaming James on through. The higher pitched cries of agony echoed in the hallways of the back area of the church none of them had been here before when they had been to church they were in the main area this was always off limits to kids. Nothing was restricted like that without adults though. "It's bad the guy he's screaming just I don't even know what he's trying to say and Riley is all blubbering and Lee" he whistled then giving Cameron a side glance "dude is some sort of detached or something maybe he hit his head when he went down in the kitchen he's acting off man. Told me if I called this kid a dancing queen again he'd snap me" Kale smirked though even if one of his friends had threatened him, Sienna held the threat a little more seriously though James was smaller than Kale lighter no doubt but Lee had thrown him over his shoulder with relative ease probably would have done it even easier had he not just been in a state of unconsciousness for inhaling too much smoke and fumes.

"Kyle's death hit him hard man" Cameron said while the three of them followed the cries of pain slowly none of them were eager to find themselves in the medical room. None of them knew what they could do for him, how were you supposed to offer help for someone's pain when you weren't even sure the full extent of what pain the person was suffering.

When the three finally entered into the room Sienna stayed back a little, while Kale and Cameron moved right into the middle but neither looking at James as he was clawing at the coot to the corner of the room. His eyes were wide as he snarled out through gritted teeth as if by yelling it would remove the pain, his fingers were white around the knuckles as he gripped the side tightly. Profanities left his mouth in a slur and then heartbreaking sobs for his mother like she could offer him help, Sienna realised then that James probably had no idea there was no adults. He'd been out cold since the crash and the accident had happened due to Riley's mother disappearing while driving.

"What do we do?" Cameron asked unsure but it wasn't like anyone had the answer but all turned to Riley, she felt pity for the girl her mind probably nowhere near its usual self from her own pain and exhaustion.

"Ease his pain" she whimpered out Lee reaching out and gripping her shoulder in what could only be described as a comforting manner much like the way Kale had done so to Sienna out in the plaza. "We need painkillers Tylenol. Ice packs for his legs, I need" she sobbed again but then gritted her teeth and swallowed it down "no adults?" she asked but already knew the answer shaking her head "I need to get the glass out of his face I need that first aid kit" Riley pointed to the green coloured small plastic case across the room behind Kale and Cameron.

"I'll get the Tylenol and ice packs" Kale offered with a shrugged response while Cameron grabbed the first aid kit and handed it over to Riley "I don't think somehow any of the kids are all that interested in pills and ice. I could go for some nachos though my stomach is eating itself" Cameron punched Kale's shoulder as her hissed and pushed him "What the hell man?"

"Not the time dude your gonna talk about your munchies while we're trying to do something serious" Cameron gave him a hard look and nodded his head over to Riley who had the first aid kit opened now and was looking through it with trembling hands.

"Kale go" Lee said then he was still beside the screaming and whimpering James, he was holding his hand now and it appeared that James was squeezing Lee's hand painfully hard "Get something to eat for Riley too. Bring extra for him maybe he'll be able to stomach something later" then Lee turned back to James and was trying to sooth him.

Kale looked to Sienna as she tried to keep her eyes on everything that was happening around her, his eyes asking her though if she wanted to go with him. She thought it was better to stay though, to finally show she wasn't about giving orders and would tough it out too if she had to. Sienna could see Riley unable to move the things around the first aid kit without shaking too badly and stepped towards her to help her with what she was looking for.

"Here let me help just tell me what I need" Sienna said then as Riley nodded and stepped back pointing to the small pliers and antibacterial wipes even a few butterfly stitches. "Just tell me what needs to be done your tired and upset you shouldn't have to do anything more" Sienna said with genuine kindness now as Riley cleared her throat Cameron was whispering to Lee about something.

"We'll help them once Kale gets back we'll head on out" Sienna would have normally questioned him but knew it was none of her business right now she just needed to help as everyone was trying to screaming boy.

"They need to hold him still while you remove the glass from his face then clean out the cuts, the few that are too big will need these placed over them" Riley said in barley a whisper if she hadn't been so close to Sienna the girl may not have heard her over James' cries.

Lee and Cameron were quick to move into position then Cameron gripping James' arms and pinning them down while Lee held his head in place while avoiding his cut side. Sienna was nervous as she moved towards James as he begged for someone to help him stop them from hurting him, she bit into her cheek and began with shaken hands. Sienna tried to be gentle but some of the glass was in deep and so she had to wiggle them out slightly, Riley wiped at the blood that would drip from the deeper gashes as Sienna removed the pieces. The four worked together all in effort to try and fix the broken boy who none of them really believed would make it longer without real care even Sienna knew that none were positive about his survival. They continued on anyway though, Sienna sighed audibly when the last piece clanked onto the table top to the side and Riley placed a small butterfly stitch over part of his cheek and both boys released him. James didn't lurch though and start thrashing and screaming like he had been he held his hands over his face and cried pleading for them to make it stop.

"You should let me clean up your cut" Sienna said then to Riley but she refused shaking her head while slumped in one of the chairs as Lee and Cameron stood together near the doorway.

"I'll fix myself up once we've done all we can for James" she said firmly her hand reaching up and running through the sweat and blood covered locks of her hair.

When Kale finally returned he had filled grocery bags full of soda cans, chips, cookies even some cold cuts and bread to make sandwiches with but he hadn't forgotten the bags of ice and boxes of Tylenol. Everyone let Riley dig into her food she eagerly pushing food into her mouth, Sienna had even giggled when she'd downed an entire coke can and then burped loudly while all three boys had looked at Riley shocked. Cameron had placed a cover over James' legs and then placed some of the bags of ice either side of his legs so it was cool but not directly touching his skin. Lee was the one left to the job of forcing water and Tylenol down James' throat. None had liked to watch but James had refused to even try so Lee had held his mouth open and then dropped the pills down his throat and poured water as James gulped around it in panic. Not one of them had argued with Lee's approach to getting it done, Sienna had known that sometimes you had to do cruel things to get the job done and while it may have seemed harsh to other's she knew Lee had given James the only thing that may just be able to ease his pain. Silence filled the room after that other than his whimpers of pain no one spoke and Sienna was perfectly okay with that, she just stood there looking ahead as she nursed the soda giving her hands something to do as she held onto it tightly.

****~~**ABSENT**~~****

Edith Carp stood with her arms crossed over her chest annoyed as the little kids were sleeping, Eddie as she much preferred to go by hadn't been looking to become a babysitter. That wasn't her and she wasn't about to do this job with a smile on her face, the scowl only made it more obvious that the tomboyish girl wasn't particularly pretty in the way that other girls were considered. She kept her Boston Red Sox cap tightly on her head her hair knotted under the cap, she didn't know many kids around town if any at all because her grandparents home-schooled her. Tragedy had forced the older couple to react rashly and decide to isolate their granddaughter that decision had left her with little to no time around people her own age. She was about as comforting and maternal as a cobra but no one would listen to her no not pug faced Edith as one of the older males had called her who was friends with Lee who lived down the bloke from her. In the end it had been choices to either help out while they were still awake or asleep, Eddie hadn't needed much time to make up her mind she'd much rather deal with them while they slept. Other's weren't happy about it either but what could they say, argue with the kids who just saved someone's life and put out a fire it just made you look like a jerk and Eddie wasn't about to make herself disliked even more. So she'd bit her tongue and moved into the day care and done her best she'd say with what she could, a few of the little's were still upset wanting to be with their parents Eddie couldn't complain about that she missed her grandparents.

"Could you just watch them while I change her" Beth said her eyes still teary, Beth was the only person right now Eddie wouldn't be harsh too. She'd come into the plaza late seen the aftermath of the fire, Beth had lost her little brother in the flames and now she was burying her grief in taking care of little kids. She thought Beth should go home but knew how memories of family could make grieving even worse and without her parents there to comfort and grieve with her she knew Beth would be alone.

"Yeah sure. Or I could do it" she offered on a second thought suddenly feeling the need to care for Beth, that was strange to her though she'd internally been complaining about not being maternal and yet she wanted to wrap Beth up in a blanket and make sure she was cared for.

"No thank you Eddie" Beth said as she cuddled the little girl into her arms they weren't sure what the names were for some of the kids but then a lot of the people who had helped were simply calling them "baby girl" or "big boy" it seemed to be working okay so far.

A boy who had gone into the fire with Lee who hadn't called her names, he was kind of cute but Eddie would never admit that out to anyone with the girl Sienna had said tomorrow they'd set up something. Most people weren't confident the adults would be showing up too soon, whatever had happened wasn't something that was going to be a quick fix so there would have to be some sort of way to take care of the kids that couldn't take care of themselves. She wasn't sure how they'd get kids to do that knowing how she herself didn't want to be doing it and only the fact that they'd stopped a fire would hold so much power for so long. The older siblings were split some wanted to just dump their little brothers or sisters here to be taken care of while others were willing to help as long as they had somewhere to have their sibling. It was something for tomorrow though and honestly Eddie couldn't wait so it would be time for her to head back home, she wanted to sleep in her own bed.

Eddie moved over to the small desk area and took a seat in front of a laptop that said it had wifi but someone had already attempted to use it but no internet. No face-book updates, she wondered what they'd say anyway if they could post something "_Just got free candy at store lolz"_ or something like _"badass fire dudes just ran in and put it out. Who said kids weren't capable of taking care of themselves :P"_ that was all they needed. The news of everyone disappearing was still asked about, like anyone had an answer there had been all kinds of theories though. It ranged from government experiment, extraterrestrials who were harvesting the adults and even god, one girl had even quoted bible passages and wailed about the rapture and how we were sinners who had been left behind. Another kid had called her out on the fact that babies and children were considered innocent but that had turned into a petty immature fight about religion, in reality it was no different than how adults argued over religion. People were going to believe what they wanted to believe but none of them were going to get answers for how everyone had vanished by screaming at each other.

"Thanks for that" Beth said slumping into another of the spare seats arms now empty of babies or little kids, Eddie was pretty sure it was the first time she'd seen her without holding someone.

"No problem" Eddie said while pulling her cap tighter onto her head and wriggling back into the chair trying to get comfortable it was slightly cushioned but not much.

"I haven't seen you around before you're what thirteen?" Beth said while Eddie nodded, she would have guessed that Beth was the same age or a year older not that it was hard to guess ages now when everyone over the age of fourteen was gone.

"I'm home-schooled my grandparents try to keep me out of public schools" Beth nodded as her hand moved to her mouth and she chewed on her thumb nail, maybe it was a habit Eddie thought as she pulled lint off her t-shirt.

"I wonder if Coates is the same" Beth said more to herself Eddie didn't answer she knew Coates Academy was the expensive private school just up the high way. From the way her grandfather had explained it there was bad kids there the sort that he personally believed would benefit from a military school then some swanky academy where the parents threw around money as if to make their problem children go away. "Probably because I know some of the adults that work there are from town so they'd have showed up by now" Beth answered her own question, Eddie only nodded to show she was paying attention as she sat in the chair trying to rest she was tired now normally she'd be sleeping by this point.

"You can get some sleep Eddie. I'm not tired anyway and..." Beth stopped though as Eddie smiled over at the girl thankful that she was letting her have the chance to rest but not feeling right, she'd force herself to stay awake give her someone to talk to she knew how Beth felt what it was like to lose someone you loved.

"Tell me about him" Eddie whispered then as Beth smiled weakly and wiped at her eyes, Eddie had no doubt in her mind Beth wouldn't be able to sleep much if at all for a while she'd not leave the girl she'd only just met alone with her sorrow just like she hadn't been left alone with it when she had been the one to lose family.

****~~**ABSENT**~~****

Lee pushed the empty cart while Cameron sat in it, the two were just happy to be out of that room with that kid James so the two had made an exit once the time had seemed appropriate. Lee was especially relieved because the screaming was getting to him his head was already spinning from everything but to hear as someone his age screamed for god to kill him, yeah that wasn't something he'd likely wish to hear again. So Cameron had dived into the cart like it hadn't just been the means to moving a severely crippled teenager and demanded Lee pushed him. He hasn't even minded as he pushed and ran with it while Cameron tried to stand and pretend he was surfing, in that moment they just forgot what was going on and goofed around like two kids and it was refreshing. It helped Lee believe that his friend was okay too, Cameron had been acted strange in certain ways since he'd woken on the sidewalk in the plaza but he could understand why Cameron was being off. He wasn't exactly acting like he normally did, it wasn't the time to but now where no one was watching and expecting them to act mature they were laughing and messing around as they headed to Cameron's dad's shop.

"Hit some handbrake her we're gonna drift" Cameron hooted out and Lee leant his weight onto the cart and shoved it at one side only as they squealed around the corner the cart almost toppling at the added weight and then righting itself and Cameron held his hand over his chest dramatically while Lee chortled amused "I thought we were going over then seriously your big ass almost sent us over" Lee pushed Cameron as he hoped out of the cart.

"I haven't got a big ass" Lee even turned his body to the side slightly to try and look at it "Louise said it's toned or something said I got a ass you wanna bite into" Cameron snorted that time then tilted his head up and laughed loudly into the night sky

"I wouldn't want to be biting into that ass but Riley's" Cameron whistled lowly then as Cameron waved his hands out in an attempt to draw the hour glass figure of a female, this in turn made Lee crack up Cameron was normally the respectable one in front of everyone but when it was just him and the guys he was just as bad.

"Even in the state she was in?" Lee asked he'd always had to be the guy who made the comments but didn't have as much honesty behind them if he appeared too interested in any other girl and Louise find out he'd suffer. He feared that girl like the coming apocalypse maybe even more.

"Even covered in sweat and dirt under it all it's still Riley Kramer" he enunciated her name like in itself it had more meaning then just a name, they'd had this conversation many times he believed Cameron was a little sweet on the girl but Riley was off limits it would always be that way and Cameron wasn't one to get attached.

"Louise isn't evil but she'd have love seeing Riley like that" Lee said finally it had been on his mind, he wasn't sure if there was others who would have felt the same he understood how insecurities and jealousy worked.

"Let's be real Lee every girl in our school would have enjoyed her not looking gorgeous and all flowing blonde hair. What's bad is she isn't even a bitch she's just not our kind of person" Lee got that they were one kind of clique as the adults liked to peg them and Riley was another as far as anyone was concerned both were bad to the other but reality was neither knew each other at all "She'll get some rest hopefully she needs it" Lee nodded agreeing "what was up with Kale being around that Sienna like that?" Cameron wiggled his eyes brows at Lee comically as he unlocked the front door to the shop.

"No idea you know how Kale is he gets into these things and it'll keep him occupied until his true love calls him" Lee laughed softly, Cameron only smirking at that everyone this side of Perdido knew Kale Mason was forever bound in holy matrimony with his pot. "Something about her kind of rubs me the wrong way. With the decision making and looks she gives me like I'm some sort of caged animal about to attack" Cameron stopped laughing at that comment Lee noticed and was curious what had seemed to knock Cameron from his humored mood.

"She did good with helping us calm the crowd down when you were out and she did okay with James face" Cameron said with little interest now "sometimes people just don't get along you know no matter how they act around each other. Look at Kale and Louise she hates his guts. Then again we can understand why but Sienna seems to get along with Kale and you two don't seem cool with each other. It's stress ya know all the stress of this crap we're all high strung and ready to explode" Lee nodded as they both moved into the shop closing the door behind him, what Cameron said was understandable to Lee not everyone was going to get along people were different and when everything went crazy people acted crazy so for all he knew the real Sienna may not seem to annoy him as much as she seemed to without even doing anything.

The two moved into the back of the shop then grabbing the boxes that they had earlier filled full of candy, there was only two large boxes that were unopened. The three other boxes were mixed of different candy that hadn't been taken before they'd got to the shop, Lee saw it as a good idea if the adults somehow came back and explained what had happened they'd just bring it back and Cameron's dad wouldn't have lost much money. If they didn't come back then there would be food, maybe not food that would be considered healthy but food none the less saved somewhere. Lee still doubted they'd have a problem with food though with all the houses and even the shops around the plaza and not forgetting Ralph's grocery store. Cameron had run into a burning building with Lee though so the least he could do was help Cameron with this.

"You should have seen how stupid they were being man I went into the grocery store in the plaza and they'd smashed up displays the candy, chips and ice cream was being taken by the arm full" Cameron continued Lee had noticed how ever since Cameron had started working here with his father that his friend seemed to always take stock of things like this even just going into the gas station for a soda he'd comment. It was one of those odd quirks that made him chuckle, one day his friend would no doubt take over this store or even find his own store magazines and candy didn't seem like Cameron.

"I didn't see I'll have to take your word for it Cameron. Kids were always going to go for the sweet stuff first, once it's gone we'll make a good dime off all this though" Cameron was shaking his head though at what Lee said he'd thought it was a good idea

"Kids don't have money and what use is it right now with no one taking money or earning it. We'll just hide it see how things are and should it be needed we'll give it out fairly" Lee just nodded it was Cameron's stuff if he wanted to give it out for free one day that was all on him but Lee knew if all the candy was gone and none was around that they'd be able to get a lot of cash for what they had on them right now "that's all of it let's get going" Cameron said locking up the shop again and moving behind the cart beside Lee and the two pushed it down the street.

Cameron had asked to go the longer way to Clifftop he hadn't said why he'd wanted to go that way but Lee knew it was because Cameron wanted to avoid anyone seeing them. The town was eerily silent between only their even breathing and the squeak of the wheels there was nothing, the car alarms had seemed to finally run out now no one coming to them. Lee was tired though from the entire day and was looking forward to just being able to sleep, he wouldn't be heading back down into Perdido after getting to Clifftop. He would get one of the keys for the suit rooms and would crash on one of those large and expensive beds with the foreign sheets that were so soft you could literally slide off the bed if you got in it too fast. Lee couldn't wait to feel himself curled up in a bed and just try and sleep, his own concern was what may haunt him while he was asleep. Would all of it play out as a constant reminder, would the screams of a teenager who would never walk again ring in the darkness of a smoke filled room as those he cared about burnt? His mind was thinking that even without being asleep he could only assume that once he found sleep the nightmares would be so much worse. Lee and Cameron struggled as they pushed the cart up the road that lead up to Clifftop the steep lift of it was proving to take even more strength which both was dwindling as the night progressed. It was early hours of the morning now the day had been grueling and as the two finally arrived at the top of Clifftop with the resort in sight they both smiled at each other relieved. Clifftop was a modern resort with a large pool around back and to the side an open area with tennis courts and even a small club house and connected maintenance building where they kept all types of equipment. The grass was perfectly well tended, Lee and Cameron had both worked up here last summer cutting grass and playing ball boy as a way to raise some money they had wanted to buy a beaten up mustang that they could fix together before they were old enough to drive. The both of them had gotten tired of it in the end and had taken what they'd earned and blown it on junk food and had hung out with the gang happy to remain kids for a little while longer. Lee had been pushing the cart around the side of the resort entrances the doors too small to push the cart in they'd use the staff exit around the side. Cameron had stopped though.

"What you doing Cameron? It isn't far now" Lee said wiping his forehead feeling the sweat over his brow then pushing his hair up off his forehead thinking about the showers that he'd get to use here as well he couldn't wait to try and just be, nothing but just being.

"That... I...it's. What the hell is that?" Cameron stuttered and struggled to get his words out while his wide eyes were fixed off to the side in the direction of the tennis courts as Lee turned to face the same direction looking for what had confused Cameron.

At first glance no one would have noticed it but because Lee had seen the way Cameron was looking at the individual tennis court he made sure to look at it properly. At first it looked like any normal court but then he could see how half way through the net the angel didn't look right only once you looked at it head on could you see there was something that cut the court off.

_There was some sort of barrier._

Lee moved forward as did Cameron both of them leaving the cart behind suddenly finding something that was once again not supposed to be real but in this new world. _The FAYZ_. Kale's new name for what was happening to Perdido Beach. They didn't stop until the both of them were directly in front of this wall it was only as you got closer that it no longer appeared as it had, like an illusion but now it seemed an odd colour that neither of them could see through. Lee couldn't believe his eyes his hand raising but he was beat to it when Cameron touched it and then recoiled with a loud yelp of pain while waving his hand and then looking down at it.

"Oh crap that hurt" Cameron groaned looking down at his unharmed hand there wasn't a mark at all "don't touch that man" Lee moved closer though not to touch it but to get a better idea of it as he looked up and couldn't see where the wall ended and yet he could see the moon and the stars, what was going on.

"This is why no one's came" Lee said finally turning back to face Cameron "we're trapped man, this whatever it is, it's keeping us in and them out it's ..." Lee stopped though because he could see how terrified what he was saying had made Cameron.

"We can see the sky" Cameron whispered then moving to one of the fold out chairs to the side of the court and running up to the barrier and smashing the metal chair against it. Cameron simply bounced off it with the chair though not even a sign that he'd used all the strength he had to smash the chair against the wall "No we're not trapped. Oh god they didn't come the adults. We said man if the adults knew they'd show up to get us. It's keeping them out isn't it, are they even out there what if they aren't what if we're all that's left" Cameron was losing it now and Lee couldn't claim part of him wasn't too

"I don't know man" Lee replied because he didn't, he had no idea what this meant but it made it all even worse the FAYZ wasn't just about Perdido Beach having no adults now it seemed the FAYZ was the reality that they really were alone and there was no help coming. If there were even people on the other side, was the barrier penetrable in anyway if it was it certainly wouldn't be the kids locked inside that would break out it have to be the adults to break in.

"Do it" Cameron demanded manically then turning on his friend "Do it damn it Lee" he yelled breathing heavily "Do it hit the wall" Lee didn't understand what his friend thought him hitting the wall would do that would achieve anything other then what he had "I know Lee. Okay" Cameron said then his face morphing into something else then "I know so stop keeping secrets I saw you do it" Cameron rose his hand then and kept his fingers spread and directed to the wall "I saw you with Kyle shot it at the wall Lee this isn't funny anymore get us out of here man do it" Lee could only stare at his best friend though wide eyed, his secret Cameron knew and it didn't make him feel good not at all. Cameron had always known all of his secrets this was the one he'd wished to keep from everyone "I know Lee please do it man. You're a Freak just save us" Lee would never tell Cameron that with that one name Cameron had just broken his heart.

_He was a Freak..._

So he turned to the wall and screamed out in his pain, shame and rage directing it all at that one target hoping to end it all.

* * *

**Sorry I didn't post yesterday I know I warned that I wouldn't be able to post every day but I had hoped I'd be able to find the time to be able to do that for you. Well I hope this chapter at least makes up for the day without posting, as always let me know what you think I'm really trying to make this something different and original that you'll all like. As always I want to thank those who have submitted character's to me to use and I hope you guys will let me know what you think of your characters. So a big thank you too****_ HpHgPjGone, MyCrazyBeautifulLife, The Lady Cloudy, ShadowDude90, Stalking dream and DeathAngel80 _****and just another reminder guys I'm still accepting character's so far all of those that have been offered have appeared in some way I think. I haven't had any for Coates but I'm still unsure how I'm going to bring in Coates Academy but believe me they will be there, what I'm really looking for is some bullies so far all the character's are decent but flawed which is great but I need some out and out bad guys.**


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six**

_Previously: _

_He was a Freak..._

_So he turned to the wall and screamed out in his pain, shame and rage directing it all at that one target hoping to end it all._

* * *

Cameron knew he'd made a terrible unforgivable mistake...

The moment his eyes had set on that odd change in the distance something had shot up his spine like a shiver but also a numbness that tingled like warm running water. How could it both feel cold and warm at the exact same moment. He couldn't explain what he was feeling but he knew just as he knew when the adults were gone something truly otherworldly had taken over Perdido Beach. Kale had called it the Fayz and Cameron couldn't think of anything better to go by but would all of this truly only be a phase for those left behind. No it would never simply pass with the time for Cameron, he didn't believe Lee or even Kale would ever forget this one day if it were to all end tomorrow. Something inside of himself had been drastically altered, he'd heard his parents speak about horrible things happening to children how they'd claim it had stolen their innocence. Cameron had never considered himself one of those kids that could have his innocence stolen but now he knew just how naive he'd been. The world had become somewhere sinister and hard just with the few horrible acts that had occurred in the hours that had come after the big disappearance of all those over fourteen. It had all boiled over and exploded out of him panic and deranged fear that needed him to escape somehow to get away from all that was allowing the horrible things to happen. Cameron had never felt claustrophobic ever in his life but suddenly the knowledge that some sort of barrier was keeping him locked within made him feel like invisible walls were closing in around him and he couldn't breathe. It had all fallen out of his mouth like verbal vomit that wouldn't ease or slow, one word move and morphed into another as he tried to find a way to get the barrier to open up somehow. It had seemed the only plausible answer he'd seen how that deadly spray of white glow had burned so thoroughly through everything it touched, Lee was the answer. The second though that he'd murmured that word he knew that he'd been wrong.

Freak...

It rang in his ears like a dirty word that wouldn't go away he'd called his friend lots of names but even when they taunted and teased each other it had been done with laughter and smiles. He couldn't recall a time he'd ever truly called Lee something horrible and meant it with as much force and he had in that moment. The way Lee's face changed from shock to have been found out and then the emotionless gaze before everything in him seemed to rush to his face. Cameron had always seen him as easy going and that nothing bothered Lee enough to reside in him like it did with others. Maybe Lee had always just been better at hiding it though.

Lee raised both hands pointed out towards the barrier and he screamed out an almost roar of rage that Cameron found actually intimidating and then the darkness was lit by the white glow. Cameron would never get used to it, he knew that from the first moment he saw it but now unleashed in a way so different so full of anger and power. The odd liquid like beam hit the barrier and sprayed over it covering such a large surface as it even dripped down it hissing smoking but...nothing. Lee moved forward still growling out saliva leaving his mouth as he continued to make savage like grunts and growls directing it all outwards but nothing. Lee couldn't make the barrier give, Cameron had seen how it worked on poor Kyle even the floor of the kitchen and the back wall. It had burned and melted so quickly and yet this showed no sign Lee might as well have been throwing water at it because it simply slipped down the barrier and then began to burn into the ground making a crater at the edge of the wall. There was no going under though, even before Cameron could think that digging under would be an option as the crater grew larger it was plain to see that the barrier continued down into the ground.

"Lee stop" Cameron said weakly his panic dulled his worry over his friend now, maybe it wasn't that his panic had dulled or just he'd been defeated already given up. If Lee's strange power could not penetrate what could. Lee continued though even at Cameron's word's his chest rising and falling as he panted roughly and then it stopped until Lee was standing there panting his eyes glaring at the barrier the hiss and burn of the turf along the barrier wall smoking as it burned the glow ending as his hands lowered in fists at his sides.

"It didn't work" Lee said coldly turning to look at Cameron then, there was definitely something about the way Lee looked though that forced a lump to form in his throat that he couldn't quiet swallow around.

"Lee man...It...I" Cameron didn't have the words, he didn't think there was a book, website or even app that gave you the knowledge on how to speak to your friend about dealing with this. The coping of the Fayz maybe someone would write that book after this or maybe there would never be an after maybe this was their lot now, coping would be continuing on pushing forward.

"You going to tell anyone?" Lee said bluntly to Cameron and he had the strangest feeling like in that moment he was talking to a stranger not his best friend since birth but someone who was a complete stranger in every way.

"Lee. No man of course not" Cameron stepped forward then as Lee raised his hands up but Cameron flinched at that and Lee noticed it quickly lowering his hands and then shoving them into his pockets.

"Good. No one has to know I'm a killer" Lee said and then turned and walked back in the direction of where the two had abandoned the cart, the purpose they'd both come up to Clifftop Resort in the first place.

"Lee aren't we going to talk about this?" Cameron rushed off after him but Lee didn't stop, something drastic had shifted between them just like it had when Cameron had ran into that building earlier he'd noted then how everything had changed and now suddenly things were changing between his one constant, Lee.

"Talk about what" Lee whirled on Cameron glaring at him "it's clear okay I get it I don't have a right to be angry or whatever you're going to say but I am Cam. I'm so full of anger and shame it's eating me alive, do you have any idea even a small idea what it's been like to know. I've known for so long that something was happening and then today and it just keeps getting worse and each time I use this..." Lee pulled his hands out of his pockets and waved them around and Cameron stood frozen watching Lee unravel completely, some had called Lee called and detached a lot said he was uncaring even teacher's had commented on his lack of compassion "Do you want to know what's worse Cam. Worse than knowing I killed that kid. The worst part is that a part of me a small part of me enjoyed it" That revelation rocked Cameron to the core, Lee wasn't evil he knew Lee and he wasn't a bad guy but this he couldn't understand he didn't possess the means to be prepared to understand what his friend must be going through so he listened "I stood in that kitchen panicked and scared but happy I wasn't the only one who could do something and then he attacked me and it was like something inside of me knew what had to be done. Like a part of me wanted to state my dominance like a voice was daring him to try it again just to give me a reason and he did and I shot back" Lee slammed his opened hand against his chest "I didn't run in there to save lives Cameron I went in to find someone who could understand what it was like and he attacked me. I didn't mean to but it happened and I hate myself Cam I do I hate myself so damn much because this isn't supposed to be our life. I'm not supposed to be a killer, I'm just a kid" the pitiful whimper as Lee used his forearm to wipe the tears that had cascaded down his cheeks "So just leave it okay I can't deal with this. We'll tell them about the barrier and that's it I don't want to have to explain the other side we've got more than enough to be crapping our pants about before we start thinking about who else can use powers that can kill each other" with that Lee stormed off not giving Cameron time to reply to anything further his friend needed time he understood that, everything they'd known about the world had been twisted in this odd and different way. It seemed though that Lee had received a warning in his manifesting ability he'd kept the secret because a few days, weeks or months ago no one would believe him because it was impossible.

"The Fayz. Where the impossible happens" Cameron whispered to himself in the lonely dark tennis court area on Clifftop not even a sound around him even the normally soothing sounds of the waves over the ocean were none existent.

****~~**ABSENT**~~****

The screaming never stopped. Riley couldn't fathom the idea to leave though, her headache was pounding and she'd taken some of the Tylenol to try and ease her aches and migraine. James' screaming came and went as did his consciousness, when he was asleep his cries were whimpers and whiny verbal calls that no one understood. When he was awake though they were full of profanities and demands to be taken to the hospital. The pain was consuming him now as if madness was taking over him slowly, force fed Tylenol and any pain medication they could find while constantly given ice packs that simply didn't do anything that would make a difference. The night wasn't over yet and Riley hadn't even attempted to sleep, all of those that had helped her get James into the church had left her alone. She didn't know them very well any of them in fact but they'd been helpful, well that wasn't true the female and male she'd seen first had out right refused her going any further with her battered appearance and a broken boy in a cart. They hadn't wanted her scaring the other kids, now not so hungry, thirsty and exhausted she understood the need to keep the calm while they could. Thankfully two males had shown up though and fought her corner she vaguely recognised them both but couldn't say she knew their names very well. They had looked almost as bad as her in appearance but no blood, the one had a large blistered burn down his forearm that needed some serious treatment but both had looked tired. She hadn't even had time to wonder what had happened when, the two had taken over pushing James toward the church to get him some help.

Riley had got the distinct impression from the girl Sienna that she didn't like her but she'd pushed it aside because it wasn't important, something she might have said or done in school seemed petty to hold over someone when the world was falling in on itself. When they'd come to the church sideway entrance she'd worried how they'd move James into the building with the cart. Her concern had been unneeded as the broader of the two males impressively pulled James onto his shoulder and carried him on through like he was nothing more than a sack of potatoes. The internal annoyance that had the guy been with her when they'd crashed he probably could have carried James the entire way and kept her steady in the long walk. She learnt by catching parts of conversations that the two males were Lee and Cameron and the third with Sienna was Kale all three males seemed to be friendly in some way. Once having James in a better location they all worked together to work as best they could on getting him as fixed up as they could, all knew it wouldn't matter.

Then slowly in twos they had left first Lee and Cameron who had something to take care of in one of the stores and then Kale needed to get his sister and Sienna had not wanted to be left to walk alone in the dark. Not that there was anyone out there but kids, now finally in a safer location Riley was able to truly think about what had happened and from what she gathered all those over fourteen had all disappeared at exactly the same time. That left no one to help James. No one but her and her help was worth nothing because it wouldn't ease his pain. She couldn't even offer him the ability to wash or even go to a bathroom in any way at all. He smelt disgusting and the odour just made the task of going into the room where he lay motionless except for his screamed please harder, this wasn't how she thought she'd be spending her day. She'd thought she'd be home celebrating a win with her parents sharing dinner with the both of them as they sang her praises and she'd crawl into bed and feel that satisfying ache in her feet that let her know she'd pushed herself. All she felt now was loneliness, she wanted to find her friends but even now so late at night she wasn't particularly comfortable walking the streets of Perdido Beach alone. Then there was James if she wasn't here to at least give him the little care she could then who would, no one had reason to force themselves through this and even so she knew a little more than most people her age would about caring for people.

So she remained there alone in the back of the church and prayed for someone to make it all better, to fix whatever terrible thing had pulled the world out of balance and resulted in this mess. She prayed James would be okay, she prayed she could curl up in her parent's bed and feel like she wasn't alone. She'd thought the hard part was getting her and James to Perdido Beach to get help she hadn't allowed herself to think that maybe there was no help here just like there had been in that crashed car. Maybe the only mercy god could have given her and James was to allow them not to have survived the crash.

****~~**ABSENT**~~****

Sienna woke up and for a moment thought she could smell the scent of coffee in her house, she'd all but jumped out of her bed stumbled and bolted out of her bedroom when she realised she was mistaken. She'd reprehended herself even called herself stupid over in her head, of course she hadn't smelt coffee there was no one in the house except for her. Her family was gone. Just like all of the others and it appeared no amount of wishing had brought about their reappearance during the hours she had slept, this wasn't a bad dream. She'd taken the time to herself to try and process everything that had happened yesterday in the light of the new day, everyone over fourteen gone. Fire started and stopped in a McDonald's, one life saved one life lost. Even after everything Kale had said that one life lost was suspect in her mind, that would be what she'd do today before waiting for the other's who had agreed to make plans for how they'd go about keeping some sort of system while adults were gone. She would investigate into what had happened in that kitchen where the boy had died, she'd also have to do it before Kale found her because she knew if he saw her snooping around no doubt he'd lose his patients with her and quickly lose whatever interest he seemed to have at the moment. Sienna admitted she liked that he was around even if it had only been half a day she'd been around him, first impression hadn't gone great but he'd stood by her in her decision with Riley and keeping her from being seen with James until Lee and Cameron had offered a solution she hadn't thought of.

It hadn't taken her long to get ready for the day and then make herself some breakfast before she was heading back to the town plaza, some of the kids had decided to stick around the plaza till late. The weather was colder this time of the year but it hadn't stopped them from seeming to just lie around on chairs from either the hardware store or drag them from home. There was trash all over the plaza area from what people had taken from stores and eaten the food then dumping the wrappers, bottles and bags where ever they were not caring.

"One issue at a time" Sienna told herself as she continued walking towards the McDonald's, it was no longer smoking but it still smelt like burning even more so when you walked inside.

To the side was the body of the boy who had perished in the fire covered by a large blanket she'd seen his face and didn't think she needed to look him over again. Part of her doubted much had changed since yesterday but in her mind the idea of pulling the blanket down would in her mind reveal a skull with only small parts of flesh and maggots crawling over its face. No she didn't need to look again so her mind continued to let her assume under there was a worse condition then she'd seen it in yesterday, when she'd seen her first ever dead body. She didn't think her mother or father had ever seen one and now she could say she had, it wasn't a life experience she believed she'd point out to them only she'd gone through however. Sienna scrunched up her nose at the smell as she moved into to kitchen area not wasting any time, she moved in the small open area to the corner of the room where Kale had said the boy had been. She looked over the wall seeing how the colour had blackened and charred the wall as it burned, the small microwave was completely black with the door barely hanging onto its hinges. Then she looked at the socket that was burned the worse the plastic around the electric plug socket melted and a hole in the wall it seemed now with the fire leaving it's tell tale sign on the outer and inner part of the structure. The boy who had spoken about Kyle had said something like a spark had started it all, that it had jumped from the socket to the microwave and blowing it up then to Kyle. He'd said it had been around his hands but Sienna had seen no signs of burns anywhere around his hands, actually Kyle didn't have any burns other than his face, neck and shoulder they had also been on the opposite side to where the fire had been burning she'd noted mentally.

"What happened here" he said to herself looking around and the floor there was a mark of smeared blood where Kyle's body had been recovered from after they'd put out the fire. It was only then as she rose from being crouched down slightly she noticed it, at first she doubted she would have at all, but there it was.

The back corner of the wall seemed to have a burned hole as if someone had thrown something a little bigger then a baseball through she moved closer and had to tip toe to look through it seeing out into the alley. The brick around the hole was burned, it even appeared like the brick had melted partly and then cooled down and gone hard in an odd state. She knew that something wasn't adding up this wasn't like the burning around the kitchen, there was also a good five feet distance between the burned hole and the charred walls. She turned around then with the wall behind her and looked across the kitchen from that position, directly in front of her was Kyle's smeared blood on the ground and then something else stood out. Every so often there were circular scorched marks on the ground, like barely there little round burns no bigger then maybe that of a butt of a cigarette but each mark burned a little deeper into the floor making a slight dip into the flooring. Sienna even pressed her finger into it and shook her head, she was seeing something but it hadn't all been revealed yet she could almost feel the anticipation of figuring something big out. Sienna followed the marks in a diagonal line across the kitchen until there was one, it was the largest of them all about the same size as her fist and dipped further into the floor. She then went to put her other hand on the floor to push herself up when she noticed the sick and yanked her hand back it was only a small amount but it been here since yesterday and looked and smelt disgusting.

"Eww gross almost put my hand in it" She stood up quickly but then realised it must have been Lee's vomit he'd had some on his shirt, he'd vomited before he'd passed out Kale had guessed when she'd asked about Lee being carried out.

That was when she realised it though because everything aligned in the kitchen then in some odd diagonal line showing the markings of what had happened in here yesterday. Something had been thrown at Kyle something that had burned his face so badly it had made the skin melt in a disturbing way she wanted to forget. It had hit the wall behind, though and burned right on through it so it couldn't have hit Kyle directly and looking at it she couldn't think it even grazed him what had happened was whatever was thrown dripped too. It showed that across the floor as it went by, the largest marking on the ground was where it had likely started off and it was right near where Lee had been found passed out his vomit was proof of that. Sienna stood then trying to think how Lee would have stood there then and raised her arm as if she was about to throw something it was the perfect alignment she could tell with her height but Lee was a lot bigger then her he couldn't have thrown anything. Sienna then tip toed trying to make herself as tall as Lee was and then raised her hand straight out and in her mind she could see a piece of tape drawing from her hand to the hole in the wall behind where Kyle had been and it was a match.

"Lee did it whatever he did he did something and it killed Kyle" Sienna said to herself almost certain she'd discovered something that had happened here that no one else would have thought to look for. Did anyone else know though other then Lee, had Kale and Cameron both seen they'd been in here all three together and she knew Kale and Cameron would never sell out their friend but would they both be okay with murder.

The worst part was even though in her head it all deemed Lee a killer what could he have possibly thrown or shot at Kyle to leave this damage, it wasn't like Lee had carried in a weapon with him. He'd also passed out so that would have meant any weapon would have been picked up and hidden by either Cameron or Kale. What reason did Lee have though to kill a small boy that was what echoed in her mind the most, she didn't know Lee all that well but why would he kill an innocent boy for no reason. He didn't look deranged in a way that he'd killed Kyle just because the chance had made itself known, if he'd wanted Kyle to die he could have easily not bothered going into the burning building. If he hadn't gone in Cameron wouldn't have gone in either, she doubted Kale would have then eventually followed had he not felt out done by the two. So she couldn't confront Lee yet, she couldn't accuse him of being a murderer but that was only because the final piece to the mystery was still missing. She could see how it may have played out in here but she didn't have the means that could make it possible. Even so though if she managed to uncover the final parts of what had happened what could she possibly do, there were no adults. No police to lock him away, no lawyers to argue it out in court no judge to ensure justice was found for the crime of killing Kyle.

"Who would believe me even if I found out what he used" Sienna said to herself and she knew right then no one, people knew Kyle who was she. She was no one the smart girl that didn't even have classes with the kids in her grade, Kale would never listen to her he'd be the only person to even hear her out if only to yell at her after "I'll have to convince him make him see he can trust me then show him" then the argument of if Kale knew though, if he knew what had happened and was covering for Lee. She wasn't sure what she was going to do, she believed in her heart something had happened and that it hadn't been the fire that had killed Kyle she believed the only people who could give any information on that were Kale, Cameron and Lee himself but would any of them admit to it "I'll just have to make them slip up" Sienna nodded then and turned away from the kitchen moving to walk out even though she wanted to stay look over it more and try and make it all come together perfectly with the answers she desired, she knew one thing though that Lee was dangerous she didn't know how he was or if he'd always been but right now with no adults she knew he was dangerous.

****~~**ABSENT**~~****

Lee and Cameron hadn't spoken since the night before and Lee was more than okay with that because he didn't have anything more to say to his best friend. Lee had given him complete honesty and he didn't think Cameron had been able to even understand what he'd completely meant by everything. History class had told Lee enough to know that power corrupts, when he'd been given this power by some freak accident or it had been a warning of what was to come he'd been given power. He didn't want it to corrupt him though, even when in that second when his power worked its devastating potency he felt invincible like there was no one that could stop him like he wanted someone to try only to watch them fail. He would never be okay with what he'd done to Kyle and he'd never want to take a life again but each time he released that anger when he used his power he felt himself enjoy it, he felt satisfaction and relief like when he did that he was untouchable and right now he felt so vulnerable that power was all he had that made him feel not weak. The silence was awkward and filled with an undertone of hostility and anger that had shown itself last night. Lee had seen Cameron flinch when he'd raised his hands, his best friend had never been scared of him but now he was because Lee was very much like that barrier it was an impossibility a freak of nature something that didn't belong there.

"We have to tell them about what we saw" Cameron said then finally breaking the silence as they hit the houses of the town, they'd left the cart hidden away in one of the rooms Cameron would keep the only two keys to that room "The barrier. It'll scare everyone but they have to know that no one is coming that we need to start being smart" Lee nodded without anything to offer him the wedge had formed even if he didn't want that without Cameron he really didn't have anyone here he could truly rely and trust.

The silence consumed them again then as they kept on walking even when they both decided to go to their homes to change they didn't separate though. Cameron's house was first and Lee waited in the living room, he'd drank some of the soda from the mini bar that had been in the room he'd stayed he'd also devoured all of the small jars of macadamia nuts. Once Cameron was finished in his home they both then walked to Lee's, he was even faster in getting changed the reminder of watching Louise disappear in his bed and knowing out in his backyard was the charred remains of when he'd discovered his ability. For all its good memories his house was somewhere he didn't want to be for a long period of time it felt empty and lifeless now as did most of his street. It looked like those end of the world movies the way everywhere was so empty and silent, there was kids now though unlike there had been yesterday messing around causing trouble it wasn't Lee's problem he'd let someone else deal with the issues today he was already done after only yesterday. The two were then heading back to the plaza then Lee would be there for the talk because it would be expected of him but his only concern today was to give Beth her brother a funeral. Nothing else mattered to him other than paying respect to the boy who had died too soon because of what the world had changed into, Kyle hadn't asked for his ability any more then Lee had.

When Lee and Cameron arrived in the plaza they could both see Sienna and Kale they were talking with some of the kids from their grade the boys who had helped with the fire were there. Some of the kids who were older siblings to the little's were standing there too, there was the handful of younger kids but it didn't appear that anyone was all that bothered what these select few had to say. Lee hated to admit that had he not been involved he wouldn't have given a damn what any of them had to say either.

"The best solution for caring for the younger children is to have a rotational system of all the kids who are older than ten I think. We probably won't have to take care of them for long until the adults come back but until then we need to make sure the youngest of us are all well looked after. We split it into three shifts morning afternoon and nights, each shift will have four picked kids to take care of them" Sienna explained as they got closer Lee listening in on what she was saying intently it appeared she'd come into some self proclaimed leadership role, he thought she was bossy and naive. Why would anyone listen to her, why would anyone listen to any of them they weren't adults what could any of them do if someone refused to play their part. Nothing absolutely nothing because they weren't in charge, they weren't adults.

"We'll need food brought to the day care. Everyone is fine getting their own but we need formula, soft food and diapers with got a little still in the day care but younger kids are showing up or being brought by people who find them in house or wondering the streets. I'm fine taking care of them but we need to make sure we've got the supplies to do that" a girl called out that Lee didn't know a boy at her side holding her hand and nodding they were a couple he guessed both looked tired.

"We should tell them" Cameron whispered to Lee and he admitted they did need to step up and make it known because no there was something keeping them in and they could be stuck without adults for a long time they needed to be prepared more than just taking care of the younger kids and feeding them "Say something they'll listen to you man" Cameron shoved at Lee's shoulder and didn't like that he was being put forward as spokesperson for their duo but that had always been the way Lee went in first Cameron normally cleaned up the mess or soothed those who Lee hadn't been as kind to in his blunt attitude.

Lee stepped forward then clearing his throat Sienna stopped speaking then fixing Lee with an odd look he didn't understand and couldn't decipher its meaning. Kale smiled at him widely and snorted which only made Lee smile slightly and shake his head, he noticed then that Riley was here too she was cleaned up now but wore some large male's jumper and jeans. Even clean she looked exhausted and timid as if she was scared of her own shadow, it saddened him in a way she'd normally seemed so happy and forward full of an inner confidence now she looked as shattered as the legs of her friend.

"We've got problems that are more important than the little kids" before Lee could even continue some of the kids were calling over each other annoyed at the way he'd said it Sienna looked pleased at the response he'd received which only fuelled his already deep annoyance "You know what yeah we do" he growled out at them "I get that the kids are important but your all planning for only taking care of them for the short term like the adults are showing up any day now and are going to say sorry kids we forgot to tell you we wanted a weekend away" Lee said sarcastically as Kale laughed loudly hunching over slightly which made Lee grin sheepishly even Cameron's smile eased Lee a little "A few of us said that adults would know by now something wasn't right that your relatives or those who worked out of town would have figured and come and checked something out. No one is coming though" Lee said firmly with no room to argue as those around looked at him worried "Cameron and I went up to Clifftop and..." Lee sighed how did he explain it "maybe you won't believe us but there's something out there you can't see it unless your close but there is a barrier like an optical illusion that shows us what should be there but when you're up close it's a wall" Lee shrugged his shoulder the small group was silent now "I don't know why it's there I don't know if we can break through but I know this. No one is coming to help us, no one is coming because if they could they'd already be here by now but if there on the other side of that barrier they can't get through it either. It's keeping them out all around us and I bet even above" Lee threw his hands up at the sky then stepped back and little with a heavy sigh "I just thought you should know. I'm done" Lee wiped his hands together in front of him and then walked off from the group to give himself some space as he watched them all explode and talk over each other about the new information about something that was locking them in some sort of dome like barrier. He felt bad as he watched them all question Cameron but part of him felt it was some sort of payback for him calling him a freak, maybe him and Cameron would be fine he wouldn't hold his breath though just like he wouldn't for the return of the adults. It was a different world now it was the FAYZ.

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**There you go another chapter just like to thank you all for staying with me Chapters may slow up for a little because things are getting really busy on my end. I'm going to try and keep it to posting more than twice a week but as I said they'll come when I can write, hope your all enjoying each chapter that comes and please let me know what you think. Ideas or even questions are always appreciated. I've received a few characters for Coates kids and I'd just like to say they will be making an appearance in the future chapter's most probably sooner than later I have very big ideas for Coates that might surprise you all. Like always I'd like to thank HpHgPjGone, MyCrazyBeautifulLife, The Lady Cloudy, ShadowDude90, Stalking dream and DeathAngel80. No new character's this chapter but those of you who submitted character's and I replied to you over PM don't worry they will make an appearance and to those who are disappointed that your character wasn't in the chapter I'm sorry but I'm working on a story line which will involve some more then other's at time. It's the gone series I'm retelling which means I plan to do more than one of the books in rewrites so your character could be around for a long long time in my own series.**


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